Nothing to heal
by Gingertreat
Summary: Rust past is catching up with him when suddenly this young woman knocks on his door. Starts in 1995. Rated M for later chapters. June '17: This Story is currently being reviewed and edited. Still no regular updates. I'm working on my motivation. Rustin X OC.
1. Chapter 1

He was sitting on the couch, one arm around his girlfriend and watching TV when he saw in the corner of his eyes a movement. He looked to the window and saw her standing there. She wore sunglasses despite the dark night, a dark scarf around her head. She scurried away back into the darkness. Rust closed his eyes for a moment hoping, that the hallucination would be gone when he opened them again. He looked back to the window and saw only the black dark night. "Honey, are you all right? You seem distracted." Knowing, that he found find the peace to sit on the couch and watch some stupid TV show with his girlfriend he lied "yeah, got a headache. I think I will head home, if you won't mind." He said with his heavy accent. She shook her head. "No, it's fine. Just get resting, okay? You're so pale like you've seen a ghost!" she smiled while Rusts eyes just got wider. "You might be right on that." He grabbed his jacket and left after giving his girl a kiss. Outside the door, he lit up a cigarette and inhaled quick and deep, letting the smoke escape slowly afterwards. He drove home.

"Look Lori, I just don't have the feelings, you are expecting me to have. I can't fulfill your wishes. Maybe it's best we… we split up. You could meet a decent man. Someone who is right for you, you know?" she was crying, silent tears ran down her cheeks. As she didn't answer he grabbed his jacket and left. The next day he met Martin in the locker room. "Hey, Rust. I've heard from Maggie that you broke up with Lori? Man, what happened?" Rust was standing in front of his locker in his undershirt. "Reality happened, Marty." The older cop shook his head in disapproval but kept silent. He knew better than to argue with Rusts logic. "So, are you okay? Wanna take some days off?" Rust closed his locker. "Nah! I'm fine. It was the expected course. Nothing to talk about." He walked out of the room to his desk, leaving a baffled Martin behind.

"I tell ya, Maggie, he never meant to stay with her. He told me, that it was the expected course." He shoved down his drink. Maggie stood in the kitchen and prepared dinner, Martin sat on the counter with his glass. The TV could be heard from the living room and the girls talking and screaming about the channel which they wanted to watch. "Girls, be nice to each other!" Maggie yelled over to them and then returned to her pots. "Maybe he is right, maybe it is the best for both of them, especially for Lori." Martin squinted his eyes. "What do you mean by that?" she sighed before continuing. "Rust is kind of… a broke man. Maybe he realized that he cannot satisfy her. Can't reciprocate her feelings. I think it was for the best to give the relationship up. He tried; he gave his best but eventually realized that his best is not enough for her." "So you get how he tics up there?" martin asked a little bit angry while making a circling gesture with his finger near his temple. "You know, that worries me. His messed up head." "I was just saying, that I get why he split up with Lori. And in my opinion, it was the most honest move of him in that situation. "Martin filled his glass with another drink. He would never understand that, he realized.

This night, he didn't slept, he just dreamed again. About his days as an undercover cop, called crash, ridding with the iron crusaders. He dreamed about that girl, the daughter of the gangs cook. Blood everywhere, she lying in the middle of all these men. Her father crying and screaming to spare her and punish him instead. The girl was still conscious, lying on her side and trying to crawl away from her torturer. Her former white shirt was ripped in pieces, her jeans shorts all dirty from the dusty ground, she was missing a shoe. Rust locked eyes with the girl on the ground. "Thank you" she whispered and smiled.

He started from his sleep, left hand trembling, when he suddenly heard the knocking on his backdoor. Only in shorts, he grabbed his gun and moved slowly to his door. It knocked again. With one quick movement he opened the door, gun at draw in the face of the stranger. She was startled and tumbled backwards, as rusts hand shot forward and grabbed one wrist. Pulling her inside and pinning her on the fast closed door. „What are you doing here?" he asked her with hold breath. She did not answer; instead, she put her sunglasses down, exposing her blue swollen eye which matched her busted lip. „they found me" she tried to smile and her lip began bleeding again. „Oh shit" she muttered and put the tips of her fingers on her lip. Rust sighed and went to the kitchen. He returned with rag full of ice cubes and handed it her. She sat down on one of the barstools and rested her elbows on the counter, the cold and wet rag pressed on her right side of her face.

Rust was standing across from her, lighting a cigarette. „How did you find me?" he asked her as he exhaled. „you know, these gonna kill you someday, right?" she pointed to his cigarette in between his fingers. „Someone has to do the job, so, how did you find me? Where you followed?" she shook her head. „Nah. They were too busy looking at the wrong places for Me." as he didn't answer she continued with a sigh. "Your, let's call them friends in the Narco department helped me." „Ahh, they're not supposed to tell anyone." „Guess, they had pity with me." she pointed at her face. Rust leaned with both hands on the counter. „What happened? I thought I got you out for good." This sad smile flashed over her face again.

"yah, me too. They gave me a new identity so I could study in peace, build my own life. Worked out for a few years, but then my best friend got into trouble, she needed money. I had to help her, you know? She was the only one who dealt with me that time. So I cooked a few batches. Dad showed me when he was still around. We sold them and she got out of her debt. Problem was the iron crusaders somehow got one batch and well. There ain't nobody who could cook meth like my dad. They got curious and started asking question where this meth comes from, who cooked it and so on. At some point, they showed up at my dorm. I was faster and got way through the backdoor. That friend of mine drove me to the next police station. I couldn't tell them why the gang was purchasing me. I would have been thrown out of the program. So I asked them if I could call the Narco department of Houston. Well, they let me and your friends there said that you asked to be transferred to Homicide. I just knew Louisiana. I got into the next train and got here. The news was all over of this new case. This way, I knew where your department was; I waited outside and followed you. Well I guess you saw me outside of the window at your girlfriend's house, that night?"

He nodded."Yeah. Thought I was hallucinating again." „Sorry about that. I thought you lived there. Should have known better when I saw the nice front porch." he laughed huskily. „Yeah you should have." he agreed with her. She pulled of her rag from her head and exposed her long red hair. „Grew pretty long." "Looks nice, I think. But a little bit too remarkable for a flight." they went silent for a moment. „Ever heard something from my brother?" he throws away his cigarette. „Ginger? Not much. Heard that he is still riding with the gang." her face lit up. „So he is still alive? That's good. Good." „ Amber. That you were outside of my ex-girlfriends window is months ago. What have you been doing all the time?" "Oh. Ex-girlfriend? What happened?" he sighed. "You are avoiding my question." Amber smiled. "And you are avoiding my question." As he did not answer, she continued. "I saw you there sitting, cuddling with this woman and thought to myself that you did it. Found someone new, someone to settle down with. Someone who could heal your wounds. I did not want to tear these open again. So I left. Found a little place on the outskirts. Earned money by working at a bar."

He got two glasses and a bottle of whiskey and filled them up as he spoke "There is nothing to heal." She looked concerned. "You drink again." "Never stopped, I guess. Just…" he made one smooth movement with his hand. "Paused" He shrugged and pushed one glass in her direction. They clinked them together and Rust drank up. Amber sipped a little from the dark liquor. "It still tastes like shit. Guess I will never get used to it" she muttered. "Why your face does look like you kissed a truck?" she wiggled her forefinger in front of his face before she forced herself to swallow the whiskey. "First, you have to answer my question. What happened between you and your girlfriend?" he groaned. "What do you think happened? Reality happened. she wanted kids. I didn't. I let her go. She has not deserved a man like… yeah like me." She was silent for a moment. "Sorry to hear that." He put his glass to his lips. "It was inevitable." He drank up again. "So, your face." He pointed with his empty glass to her busted lip and the swollen eye.

"My uncle went into my bar." Rust laughed "Shiiit" she grinned and inhaled loudly as her lip started to bleeding again. She wiped it away. Rust starred for one moment on her bleeding lip before focusing on her eyes again. "That's not the bad part. He was really happy to see me, thinking I was dead. We drank and talked about old times. He told me, why he was here. Told me, that he was finished with the iron crusaders after they got their new cook. My uncle said that the new cook was into some… weird stuff that even he could not stand." She took one deep sip of her whiskey. "Huh. That means something. Remember that time, when he threatened me to put a snake into my ass if I ever called him princess again?" she laughed. "Yeah, he even head the snake ready in this pouch." She continued.

"Either way, why I'm here. You know, the name of the new cook?" he shook his head. Amber leaned forward and set the rag down on the counter. "Ledoux." Rust froze. "How do you know about Ledoux?" "Rust, don't act silly. You think I got work in a nice little dinner, selling milkshakes to teenager? The guys in the bar are talking. I know about your case, I know, that you are looking for Ledoux. And then, my uncle came in a told me that their new cook is into crazy stuff and is called Ledoux. Yeah, rest of the story is that I finished my shift and as I went outside, some guys were waiting for me. They beat me up, but my uncle interfered and I could get away. Don't worry, I'm sure, they didn't follow me." She finished his drink and rust opened the bottle for a refill. "How do you know?" my uncle killed them. We went separate ways afterwards. Said something about leaving Louisiana." "And you're telling the truth?"

She laughed. "I know better than to lie to you." He smiled. "Yeah you do" she was trying to stand up, but she slumped down before rust could hurry around the counter to grab her around her waist. She hissed and repressed a yell of pain. "Damn girl, what were you trying to do?" he scolded her. "The ice is all melted but my head still hurts." She mumbled with a slurry voice. "And you could not ask me to get you some more ice?" she blinked her eyes at him as she seemed to process his words. "I guess I could have done that." He tightened his grip round her waist. "Come on, get up." She screamed out of pain and clawed her fingernails in his forearm but he did not let her sit back on the floor.

He steered her back on the barstool. "Raise your top." She grimaced. "I don't want to." "I know, but I have to inspect your broken rips. You don't want them to poke a hole in your lungs, don't you?" she groaned in disapprove but followed his orders. Her right side was turning black and blue and yellow. Carefully he laid his hands on the bruise. She twitched. "Sorry." He muttered. "Didn't mean to hurt you." She suppressed her laughing. "Ain't not hurting. I'm ticklish."

He smiled. "And here I'm standing, having a bad feeling about hurting you." She went silent for a second. "You were the only one who did not hurt me back then." He stopped groping here and there for her broken rips. Swallowed. "Old story." She nodded. "How much did you drink with your uncle?" he asked to change the topic. "Dunno. A few, maybe a few more." "I see" he mumbled. "The adrenalin wore off. That's why you just realized that your ribs are broken, and" he twitched the glass of whiskey from her hand. "You had too much to drink."

She lowered her top and squinted at him. "Smartass." He chuckled silently. "Yeah you're insults are still the worst I ever heard." He lit another cigarette, still standing in front of her. "I guess, you have nowhere to stay?" "Have you graduated in fortune-telling?" she grinned. "Of course I have. A diploma in telekinetic and telepathic, too." He said as he grabbed her around her waist to maneuver her to the mattress in the living room. "Wow, you're such an amazing guy." She giggled as she sat down on the makeshift bed. She looked up to him.

His cigarette placed in the corner of his lip. "Where will you sleep?" "Aah, girl. I never sleep." She raised one eyebrow. "You sure? Cause you looked asleep when I watched through the window." He shook his head "nah. Just dreaming." "Fine" she muttered sleepily as her eyes closed. He stood a moment there, watching the girl sleep, unsure what to do. He hadn't drunk alcohol in the last months and he felt dizzy. Finally he took one of the camping chairs, grabbed a book and sat in the corner across from the mattress. Tomorrow, he will talk to Martin about Ledoux and what to do next.

Amber woke up from a loud noise. She needed a moment to remember where she was, and why she was here as she heard the stifled moaning from Rust who was sleeping in a chair in the corner. The book which he was reading fell down from his lap to the ground. She stood slowly up, pressing one hand against her fractured ribs. The girl approached the sleeping man who was obviously having a nightmare carefully. "Rust" he did not woke up. She hesitated first but put then a hand on his shoulder. He jumped up from his chair and knocked her over on her butt. With panic in his eyes he was looking around, not recognizing where he was at first. "Ouch." Amber hissed between gridded teeth. His head snapped over to her, a questioning look on his face. "What are you doing here? You should not be here. No! I got you out of it." He was still dreaming. She bobbed up "Rust, it's okay. You got me out. I'm save. You did good that day, remember?" He just looked at her with wide eyes. Amber sighed as he suddenly answered. "Yeah." He paused. " Yeah. But I was so late. I… The blood. I thought." She grabbed one hand of his. "It's fine. Everything is okay now." With one quick movement he pulled her into his embracement. His left hand on her lower back while his right hand stroke her hair first and then pressed her head into the crook of his neck. She smelled sweat and alcohol and smoke. "I'm sorry I was so late. I'm sorry you had to endure it." "Nah, it's fine, it's fine." She reassured him. "Come on, you need to sleep a bit at least." She pulled him to the bed and he laid slowly down, pulling her with him, his face buried against her waist while she placed one arm around him and started petting his back. His breathing normalized eventually. "and I thought, I'm the broken one." The corner of her mouth twitched which gave her a gruesome look with one eye still swollen and blood dripping again from her busted lip.


	2. Chapter 2

Just a short one but more is already in progress. Like I stated in my profile, i'm not a native english speaker therefore if you see expressions or sentences that don't make any sense please tell me! "Let's jolly on with the story, shall we?"

 **Rust** woke up to sunshine shining through his window. He sat up, expecting his head to throb, but nothing happened. When was the last time, he felt good in the morning without taking some drugs to sleep through?

He looked around and his eyes stuck on the body next to him lying on the bed. She faced the other side, so he could only see her bright ginger hair. How did he end up in the bed? Wasn't he planning on spending the night reading in the chair? The book lying on the floor caught his gaze. Memories flashed threw his mind. "Fuck" he mumbled and stood up.

Amber woke up. "Ouch." She held her head in her hands in a sitting position. Rust grunted from the kitchen. "Morning" he tried to sound casual. She did not answer. Rust started the coffee machine and went back to the bed, his first cigarette between his lips. "Come on, girl. Let me see." He crouched down and Amber turned to face him. The lip was better but her eye was all black now. Furthermore, a big bump grew on the right side of her forehead; her right temple had a pale dark violet.

He applied a little pressure to the bump and she whimpered immediately. "I need to make sure there is no fracture or pieces of bone loose in the tissue." She nodded carefully. Once Rust was satisfied with his examination he explained. "Looks like you have just a concussion, nothing more severe." He stood up and went back to the kitchen to get himself a mug of coffee. "How do you know all that?" she asked, holding her head again. He took a sip, holding the coffee with one hand on the lip of the mug. "What do you think how I got a gang member of the iron crusaders? By baking cake, making daisy chains and singing kumbaya my Lord?" she looked scolded as she whispered: "No, of course not."

He sighed, grabbed another mug and filled it up with coffee, returning to her. She looked up as he handed her the mug. "I forget sometimes, how young you were back then." She took the coffee and sipped slowly the hot fluid. "Not an excuse to ask silly questions, I guess." She answered in her mug. "Nah. We first met when I was already the right hand of Miles. I did not give the expression to fight in the front rows, I guess." She shrugged. "I don't know. I don't remember the first time we met; only the time you kind of rescued me." "You don' remember? Huh. Maybe it's for the best." He gestured.

Amber got curious and broached the subject again. "You remember it?" he smiled. "Of course I do. You stuck out like a butterfly between moths." She giggled silently and Rusts mood lighted. He continued. "I guess, you just were that, back then. I mean a butterfly. You seemed so frightening pale in your white dress, walking in front of your dad just right up to Miles. I stood a little bit behind him watching the scenery very carefully." He gestured with his free hand in the air, as he could right see the dirty hall where all this happened years ago. "Miles ordered your dad to bring you there, so he knew who his daughter was. He assumed that your old man was selling some of the drugs behind his back. And Ginger was already in the gang and your brother and your dad were not on good terms. So he needed like a new thread for him. And he loved you, tried to keep you away from all this shit. So, anyway. You stood there in your white dress, how old where you back then?" " I was already 18" he raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Really? You seemed so young, so tiny so thin so …I don't know unblemished." Now she giggled out of control. "What the fuck is in your coffee? Or are you always like this, when you are hungover."

He smirked and covered his mouth with the mug. "Maybe I was taking the good stuff that time." "You certainly were. My dad already taught me how to cook excellent drugs, not that he wanted me to take on his business but one day he took me by the shoulders and said. – I am your father and as your father I need to pass something down to my descendants. But I just know how to cook drugs, so you will learn how to do that-"she imitated the deep voice of his father. "Crazy old man. I was anything but unblemished." He harrumphed. "Sorry to hear that." She shook her head. "It's fine."

He cleared his throat and continued the story. "So, like I said, you were standing there in this white dress, and hell I don't know how you were able to even have a white dress. I was at your father's house once and it was dirty as hell!" She interrupted. "We didn't life there. It was just his cooking house." "Huh. That explains a lot. Anyway you were standing there with this bid bottle of Whiskey in your left hand and a bag of meth in the other hand and at that time, for me you looked like the angel of drugs and rock'n roll. "She sighed. "My dad made me do this. He said it would be a good idea to offer something what Miles liked. So he thrusted the liquor and the drugs in my hands. I was so fucking nervous I almost dropped the bottle." "Really? You looked so serious and confident when you handed it over. Long eye contact, straight back, no smile. You impressed me!" she laughed. "Miles stank like shit! I concentrated on not puking only! I hold my breath until I had a safe distance from him for breathing again."

It was nice taking to her, Rust realized. The last few years, well since he shot the three cartel members and almost died he could not talk to anyone. What did he even have to talk about? His failed marriage? Dead child? Drug abuse? Oh, and let us not forget the 4 years deep undercover where he killed and raged arbitrary. But Amber already knew the last part of his life story. He didn't need to hide it. He was not aware that he actually missed conversation or maybe he just did not want to become aware of this. But maybe it wasn't a bad thing after all. "Yeah I know. The worst was when he opened his mouth full of rotten teeth and sore gums." Amber made a few gaging sounds. "Oh, now I'm glad that he didn't talk to me directly ever." Rust nodded in approval. "He didn't want to talk to you. He once told me that you're a worthless piece of shit except for being fucked and keeping your dad on the leash. And since he not fucked you I guess the only reason why he ordered your dad to bring you once a week was to make sure that he did not smuggle you out of the state."

Her face went blank. "Maybe he should have." Rust took a draw on his cigarette. "Maybe." He said while exhaling. "Maybe not. Sure, it wouldn't have changed the death of your father but you would have been always on the run. Now you had a new identity and could live for a few years in peace. And if you hadn't screwed up you would life an uneventful college life after all." He teased her. "Maybe you're right. What is in this coffee, I feel queasy." He took the mug out of her hands. "It's not the coffee, it is your concussion. The bathroom is upstairs." She looked at him questioning. Rust grinned. "Seriously, you should go. Or else you'll throw all over the place." He stood up from the mattress and reached for her hand to help her up, too. Her face went pale, even a little bit green and she hurried as fast as she could with some broken rips upstairs.

"Told ya." He muttered into his coffee mug as he emptied it and placed it into the sink. He heard her spitting and gaging once he was on the stairs. He took a fresh shirt from his closet and dressed. The bathroom door was still closed as he knocked gentle on the door. Inside, Amber was leaning against the cold tiles of the wall, next to the toilet. "I will be going now." He started the conversation. "Aha" was heard through the bathroom door. Amber sounded miserable. "You…you can." He went silent and leaned his head against the door. Why was it so complicated to just say it? He scolded himself for his fucked up head. Rust took a deep breath and carried on. "You need to rest! Stay in bed, sleep a lot, stay hydrated." She smiled. "Okay."

She heard him walk away and said a little louder: "Thanks Rust." He stopped at the top of the stairs, one hand at the rail, smirked and left the house.


	3. Chapter 3

**He parked** his pick up and went into the police stations locker room. There, he took a shower and brushed his teeth before he slipped back into his shirt and tied his tie around his neck. "You're late." Martin greeted him without looking up from his desk. The homicide department was in chaos. Policemen were running around, shouting at each other, white boards were rolled into the office, some guys carried cardboard boxes with files into one separated room. Rust stood at his desk and looked around, mouth half open. "What happened?" he asked casual while taking his seat. Martin looked up. "You don't read the newspaper? Or watch TV? Right, you don't have one. Last night, a local resident reported multiple shoots. A patrol checked the area and found 4 bodies just next to a bar. All dead." Cohle perked up his ears. Seemed like the incident Amber got into. "One resident said, that he saw three men still alive getting into two cars and driving away in different directions, so everyone in the homicide division and the highway patrol is working on this case. Except for us. I hope you have an idea how we can solve our god damn case, cause we only have a few days before the special unit will take it!" Rust blood ran cold. Three survived. Probably ambers uncle and 2 gang members of the iron crusaders. Shit, they probably know that amber is still alive. But they won't repeat back to Miles until they have finished the job, he knew that much. Time is running out for his plan. Marty was leaving early that day.

As soon as he went through that door, Rust stood up and went into the office of Major Ken Quesada. "My father is diagnosed with leukemia." Quesada throw a file onto his desk. "Rust I'm sorry to hear that. Take your time and let me know when you're back." "Thank you, Major." The door slammed behind him and he hurried to his truck. He needed to get home. The gang members that survived will surely try to find Amber. With a sudden feeling of danger, he stopped his truck on the side of the street a couple of houses away from his home. He stayed there motionless, inspecting the surrounding. After a few minutes he sighed, lit himself a cigarette and started his car again to drive to his driveway where he parked his car. He looked suspiciously around and went inside, closing the door fast behind him. Rust watched his front porch through the peephole. As his hackles rose he spun around, his gun at the ready. Amber yelped and Rust gasped of relief. "Girl, you made me jump all right." He holstered his gun and glanced at her. She wore one of his shirts which went down to her mid-thigh. With bare foot and bare legs she stood there still stiff. "What happened?" she asked with frightened voice. Rust held his hands up as he was defending himself. "Nothing, nothing. No need to worry yourself." He fished his package of cigarettes out of his pocket and lit one with shaking hands. Amber rolled her eyes. "Yeah, sure. You look like you've seen a ghost." The grip of Rusts large hand around her arm was tight. "Watch your mouth." She shoved his hand away. "Jeeze! Rust. What the hell. Just tell me already." She demanded. "Looks like your uncle" he paused while looking for the right words "didn't finish the job." She knitted her eyebrows. "That's right, they're still looking for you!" he yelled now due to the stress and anger. It took her a while to process the news but then she turned and walked into the living room. Curious, Rust followed her. She had doffed of his shirt and put on her t-shirt. She grabbed her shorts and pulled them up her legs. "What are you doing?" he asked her, still angry. "What does it look like I'm doing?" He sighed and placed himself on top of a barstool. "It looks like you're over reacting and fleeing, which would be definitely your death." He exhaled some smoke. "Is it because of your desperate attempt not being a burden to anyone?" He glanced over to her as she stopped in her tracks. "Or do you still need to prove yourself that you are a self-sufficient strong woman who doesn't need anyone or anything?" "What the fuck do you know dipshit?" He smirked. "No need for insults. They only proof that I'm right in my assumption." She threw one of his books at him. "Fuck you, Rust!" Now he even chuckled. "See? You're just repeating it. Over and over and over again. You had a new identity but you screwed up and fled. Still, you made yourself some kind of a home and again" he gestured a circle mid-air with his right hand. "You screwed up and fled. Now you're here. I think your first good move. And what do you do? You're still trying to flee." He sucked on his cigarette. "What are you running from?" She turned and faced him. "Same question goes for you." He laughed and nodded his head. "My past. And you know that." He answered as he stubbed out his cigarette. "Listen, all I was trying to imply was that you can stay here. For your own safety of course." He had his hands raised so that his palm faced her, like he was talking to a panicked animal. She frowned. "You are no good at implying." "So, you wanna stay?" she nodded. Amber was relieved. The thought of going outside all alone, with no place to go while they're still looking for her terrified her to the bones. But when he yelled at her… she just didn't dare to ask him if she could stay. He had already done so much for her, more than anyone else ever. She realized that he was partly right. She couldn't bear to stand the thought of being a burden to him. "Alright. Then I will go grocery shopping. I won't be here for, well I don't know exactly, a few days I assume." She was suspicious. "Why?" "A job thing." He answered vaguely. "While I'm away you won't leave the house! You understand me?" "Yeah, yeah. What kind of a job thing?" she pressed on him. "A normal job thing. What do you wanna eat?" he asked casual. "Food." She responded and after a pause: "You're looking for Ledoux, aren't ya?" He froze. "Yah." And he continued as if nothing happened. "Make sure, the light is out when it gets dark. Nobody can know you're here." She nodded as she walked closer to him. Rust was standing in front of his opened refrigerator inspecting its content. "You're coming back, right?" Amber was standing near the counter, one hand on the marble. He did not answer. She sighed and shuffled closer to him as he was randomly opening and closing cupboards. He got a pound of flour out of one and poured it into a plastic bag. When he was done he taped it shut. "well, I'll be going now. Something else you need me to get you?" "A toothbrush might be nice." he nodded "sure" and closed the front door behind him. "Silly man." She pouted as he was gone. "Silly me."

Rusts first stop was the division headquarters. He went straight to the evidence room and replaced a bag of cocaine with the flour. After that, he drove down the street to the next grocery store. He hurried through the aisles and filled up the shopping cart. After a few moments of hesitation in front of the liquor he broke in and grabbed some bottles. He opened one and took a few sips still in the truck in the driveway. Laden with the brown paper bags he went to the door and opened it with the foot. "Amber? It's me. I'm alone." He called her and heard soon her steps on the stair. "I don't know what girls usually eat." He explained as he stowed the groceries in the refrigerator and cupboards. "It's fine. I eat everything." Rust stood in the middle of the kitchen his hands twitching to find something to occupy them. As if someone reminded him, he unfroze and took a glass. He went upstairs and came back with a syringe. Ink and cayenne were mixed together in the glass and he drew it up into the syringe. "Would you get me a drink, please?" he asked Amber politely while he stripped off his shirt and wrapped his belt around his arm. Amber tiptoed to reach two glasses in the cupboard and sat next to him. He filled them with the whiskey he had bought. "You're going undercover?" she asked while sipping. He nodded a newly lit cigarette between his teeth as he injected the ink in his elbow crook. "Okay." She answered. She watched him working his skin with the syringe, slowly emptying her glass. He bursted eventually "What?" she laid her head on the cool surface of the counter. "Nothing." She muttered. He finished his whiskey and slammed the glass on the marble near her head. "Then stop looking at me with this" he pointed to her face "look on your face. You make me jumpy." Amber smirked. "All righty." She filled the glasses up again and they raised them to each other. "You'll meet Ginger?" Amber asked huskily and coughed due to the strong and bitter taste of the whiskey. "I'm planning to." He placed the cocaine on the kitchen counter. "Got him a present." She flinched. "You will put him in his grave." "I give my best not to do that. I promise." He put the syringe down and loosened the belt. "I know how much he means to you." She smiled sadly. "Yeah. He used to." "But you still would be sad if he died." She looked him straight in the eyes. "I would be sadder if someone else died." He sat there for almost a whole minute without moving before his phone rang. "Will be there." He just said and hung up. "Listen. That was Maggie, Marty's wife. Seems like they had a fight. I need to go to the hospital and get him out of there." He took the car keys from the counter but turned around before leaving again. "I assume that he has to stay here for the night. Perhaps it would be best if you lock yourself upstairs in one room."

He came back after it went dark and he was right with his assumption. Marty had screwed up and was no longer allowed in his own home. Marty placed his luggage in the hall and followed than Rust in the living room. He was sitting in one of the camping chairs in front of a red footlocker. Marty looked inside and saw guns, an automatic, two grenades, an ammo box and a flask. "You visit a lot of gun shows?" he asked sarcastically. Rust handed him the flask and the jacket. Marty took a few sips and then inspected the leather jacket. "Holy shit." He muttered as he saw the stitching on the back. Rust exhaled his cigarette smoke. "Yeah. The 4 years undercover I spent at the Iron Crusaders. Took 3 slugs in a shootout to get me out of there. They think I'm dead, nobody gives a shit." Marty put on the jacket and brought the flask to his lips. Rust already explained his plan to Marty in the car when they drove here. "You sure you wanna do this?" Rusts view slipped to the ceiling and his mind to the Girl who was hiding upstairs. "Not exactly." he admitted.

He wore his leather jacket, a former white dirty shirt underneath it. A dozen of people were standing around, holding bottles in their hands. Loud music was heard. He wiped his nose on his sleeve. Eyes reddened and flask ready in his inside pocket as he went inside. It wasn't difficult to get to Ginger. Almost every one of the iron crusaders knew Crash from back then. He sat beside Ginger at the bonfire. "Shit! I thought you were dead." Crash coughed and snorted. "Huh. Do I look dead to you?" After looking around and not seeing one hostile face he moved closer to Ginger. "I've been working for these Mexicans. They have connections to Columbia. However, there is the possibility about making Money. I'm talking about real money. If you are interested." Ginger hushed him down, stood up and gestured Crash to follow him. "You think, you can waltz in here after all this time and act if nothing happened?" he grabbed Crashs crotch and pulled and twisted. He moaned out of pain. "Listen, Ginger I've got something with me." He pulled the bag from the evidence room out of his jacket, poked a hole in it and let Ginger try. His eyebrows rose. "This is good!" he said muffled and was handing Crash the bag. "Nah. You can keep it." "Thanks man!" said Ginger happily. "look, we've one man who is cooking solely for us. But I don't know if I can just sat you up with my man. Like I said, you can't come in here and just change everything. You were gone a long time and I don't know you like I used to. I got this job tonight. If you are still a badass it won't be a problem for you to help me a little out." Crash sighed internally. He assumed that this would happen. And he was afraid of it. So was Amber as she warned him of this situation. Earlier that day, as Martin was already at his house and Amber hided in the empty supposed-to-be-bedroom. Martin was almost as nervous as he was when his first daughter was born. He rushed things through and before Rust could slow him down he sat in his car and was waiting for him to get change. Rust slowly went upstairs and knocked at the door Amber was hiding behind. As he did not hear an answer, he decided to step into the empty room. Amber was sitting on the floor, back on the wall across from the door. Her legs stretched out and the now empty glass was standing between her pale legs. "I'm going now." He said huskily and moved one hand through his greased hair. Amber sighed and got on her feet. "You will come back, right?" she tumbled in his direction and Rust moved to her fast in order to keep her on her feet. Her hand grabbed his forearm and with red eyes she looked up to him. She was crying all the time up here, he realized. It would have been so easy for him to do this job if she weren't here, crying for his sake. "They'll try to take advantage of you. Don't put your life on the line for something stupid, okay? You will return, right?" He pulled her closer to him and whispered in her ear. "I don't work this way. You want me back here in one piece? Well, then tell me to do that." "You have to come back!" she claimed immediately. "Unhurt. You need to!" he pressed her against the near wall and pressed his lips against hers desperately. He has no idea if he would be able to come back and before meeting Amber again he didn't even care about it. "Why. Tell me why I have to come back." He rasped in her ear. Amber was out of breath. The room was spinning, she was drunk and losing control due to the warm defined body which was pressed against her, his smell a mixture of cold smoke, weapon oil, whiskey, cayenne and his rough voice which vibrated in her head. "Because I need you to come back. I can't stand the thought of you harmed. I'm so afraid of losing you!" now she cried again. Amber was angry at herself. She had promised herself not to cry in front of him. She had no reason to cry! But it was exactly the right thing what he wanted to hear. He kissed her again, one hand in her wavy red hair, the other wrapped around her but, pulling her hips close to him. "I promise, I will come back." He said finally, pressing his forehead against her hairline. His hands were placed on both side of her face. One last kiss on her hair and he was gone. "Crash!" Ginger shouted. "You comin'?" Rust was roused out of his memories. "Shit." He placed one hand against his temple. "I drifted." and followed Ginger who already was standing on a typical fishing boat which are widely used in the swamps. Crash got onto that boat and the engines started soon afterward. They were headed to Gingers place


	4. Chapter 4

Ginger was hurt. He could barely see and heard only the sirens of the police cars. Crash dragged him around at his collar, gun at his head. A car drove by and they hurried to the street. The car stopped and Crash pushed Ginger inside. "Go! Go! Go!" he yelled at Marty.

In the morning, Crash and Ginger met with his man, Dewall in a run-down country bar. The face of the bald man with the impressive red beard was partly swollen and turning blue. The door opened and Dewall came in, slowly looking around and then heading to a corner booth across from the bar. Ginger and Crash stood up and joined him. "What happened to your face?" Dewall asked, as Ginger was sitting in front of him. "Called the wrong dude on cheating." he lied to him.

Dewalls view went to Crash. "What do you want again?" Crash leaned onto the desk, maybe a little to close, he seemed too eager, Dewall thought to himself. "I'm helping some people who want to get to the good cook." Dewalls view wandered to Ginger who was sitting quietly near the wall. "Why not talking to Miles?" Crash answered for him. "Me and Ginger go way back, boozing together." Dewall addressed Ginger again. "You don't say much?" "I thought I would let my man give you the details." Crash interfered. "Look, this shit I got. There is a lot of money in there for you. " Dewall looked over the bar before answering. "Nah, I've got no use for it. Or you're money.I can see your soul at the edges of your eyes. It's corrosive, like acid. You've got a demon, little man," he says, adding: "I see you again, I'm putting you down, there's a shadow on you, son." Dewall stood up and left the bar.

The two cops were prepared for this and Hart was waiting outside of the bar in his car, ready to follow Dewall. Crash reached into Ginger's neck and maneuvered him out of the bar into the backseat of his truck. He was driving a few miles down the road and took a turn in one small dirt track. "How are we doing back there, Ginger?" He asked spiteful while the truck was rumbling down the bumpy track. He was bound with duct tape and he screamed muffled around his mouth gag. "You motherfucker!" Crash grinned and swerved. Gingers head slammed into the door. "Yeaaaah." Crash was satisfied.

He stopped after a few minutes, left the car and opened the door to the back seat where Ginger laid enchained. Rust lit a cigarette and freed Ginger. He left the door open went around his truck and sat on the edge of the bed. Ginger didn't know what was happening and hesitated a moment but then followed Crash. He handed him a cigarette and gestured him to sit beside him. "This would be the moment where I put a bullet in your head." Crash explained and Gingers hand tremored. "But a young Lady asked me to spare your meaningless and pointless life especially."

"Who?" He spat almost the word out. Crash shook his head in slow motion. "Nah, I'm not sure, if I can tell you that, Ginger. You see, I don't know you how I used to." Ginger moved closer to the other man. "Crash, if I am right, you have to tell me. " Rust interrupted him. "Don't call me that. I hoped never to be called Crash again, but I had to come back. You and you're gang messed up eternally, you know that, right?" Ginger shoved the subject away with one gesture of his hand. "Whatever. Now tell me. Is it my lil' sister?" he pleaded with tears in his eyes. "Is Amber still alive?" His face grew soft, hope gleamed in his eyes.

"Please! Tell me I'm right." He grabbed Rusts forearm and pulled at it so that he would look at him. He freed himself and checked paranoid the surrounding. After that, he took a deep draw on his cigarette before answering. One hand on the neck of Ginger he pulled him close to his face. "You can't tell anyone. She asked me to let you live and I told her that I'll do my best."

Ginger let a few sobs escape. "Thanks." He wiped his nose on his sleeve. "Thanks for letting me know." They sat a while in silent before Ginger spoke again. "If you've told me that from the start I would have brought you directly to Dewall, without questions." Rust turned his head and looked at the Outlaw with a puzzled look on his face. Ginger saw his face and chuckled. "Surprised? Man, she was my little sister. Is, " he corrected himself. "is my lil'sister. Man that has a nice sound to it, hasn't it? I love her, what did you think? Every night I dream of that night when Miles had her," he stopped. "It eats me up. And then you volunteered to drive her out in the swamps and kill her. My friend, the only loyal one I had in this shithole."

He smoked his cigarette now with a little smile on his lips. "Amber alive." He mumbled. "How did you fake her scalp?" he asked Rust. "I killed a coypu, shaved Ambers head and glued her hair to a piece of the coypus hide. Miles was so drunk and high he didn't even notice." They smirked at each other. "She almost looked like you all bald." He added. "Aw man! Her beautiful hair. How could you, you monster." "Don't worry, it grew back." "You saw her recently?" Rust nodded. "Came to my house. Needed help cause some fuck-saders found her. The word did not spread around yet?"

"No, I would have known. Usually, the guys report back to me and if I think it's important I tell Miles." "So, will you tell Miles about Amber?" Ginger spat on the ground. "Nah. I will tell these idiots that they were way too high cause I've seen Ambers body with my very own eyes. No way she's alive!"

Rust stepped on his cigarette and stood up. "So we got a deal? You won't bust me?" Ginger thought for a moment and then shook his head. "The way I see it now, I owe you big." He pointed to the dirty track. "So, I can go now?" Rust held his hands up in defense. "I'm not holding you." He waved a short goodbye and was heading for the main street when Rust yelled at him. "Ginger. Wanna hear my advice?" He had his left hand akimbo, the right one with his newly lit cigarette between middle finger and thumb was hanging loose. "Lay low for a while. I've got this feeling, something big will happen and the Iron crusaders will be involved. Best if you leave town for a while, maybe even left the state." Ginger nodded in agreement. "I'm down for some holidays."

If Rust knew, that two children were waiting for him to free them, he would have driven faster.

He was sitting in one of the ambulances near the settlement in the woods where Ledoux and Dewall were cooking drugs and abusing children. The medic wrapped a bandage around his upper body where he was hit last night with the baseball bat. Nothing broken, but he was told, that his spine was partly bruised.

He has refused the pain pills because he planned to get clean right here and now. He has consumed way too many drugs the last days. Marty was interviewed by the major, a couple of cars away from the ambulance but Rust could see him from his spot and it seemed that he was doing a good job selling the story they made up. The kids were transported immediately to the nearest hospital. "Anything else I can do for you, Sir?" the medic asked with a professional tone.

"I'm good." He declared. Martin was walking in his direction. "We are dismissed. You want me to drive you home?" "I can drive my own. I feel good enough." "Okay, just an offer. So, we meet sometime soon? I think we should, well discuss a few things." He wanted to match their stories and rust agreed. It was necessary. "I will give you a call." He drove slowly home, his back was hurting as the drugs wore off and his vision was a little blurry, but he got safe to his house. It was already night time. He closed the door behind him and inspected the interior. Nothing seemed wrong and his worst fear of having the iron crusaders brake in and kidnapping Amber faded.

"Amber?" He shouted upstairs, but nothing happened. "What the…" He went upstairs and found only empty rooms. With a cold grip around his guts he went back downstairs but Amber was nowhere to be found. "Fuck" he muttered and went through the cabinets, cupboards and closets. At last he opened the closet under his stairs and there she was.

She had a little lamp with her and her nose in one of his books about crime, headphone covered her ears. She startled as she saw the door moving but the frightened look on her face changed the very moment she recognized the person who has found her. He was crouching in front of the closet as she crushed into him. As he not returned the hug she loosened her grip around him. He was trying to look him in the face, but his head hung loose.

"Rust, what's wrong?" He snuffled and tried to focus on her, but he was just too tired. His mind was tired, his body was tired and he lusted for drugs and alcohol which was never a good sign. Memories of the two kids raced through his mind and rust could swear that he still felt the weight of the small body in his arms. "Nothing. I'm just." His body tilted backwards as he was falling on his butt. Amber clasped his chin and forced him to look up to her.

She studied his eyes. "Coke. Meth, Acid…and if you met Ginger also ketamin." He just nodded and Amber helped him up to navigate him to the mattress. Rust collapsed on the bed and she took of his shoes and dirty shirt. He was almost asleep when he was woken up again. The girl sat beside him and handed him a large bottle of water. "You need to drink. The detox will be a little easier when you're hydrated." He declined first but Amber insisted that he would drink the water. He slept soon afterwards.

In the middle of the night he woke up, sweating, freezing, and trembling. He gaged and immediately a bucket was hold out to him. He grabbed it and vomited in it. Amber went upstairs, cleaned the bucket and then returned with a new bottle of water. Rust was still sitting on the bed, his upper body was leaned against the wall. "Here." She just said and he drank desperately.

"Are you hot or cold?" She asked in a matter of fact tone. "Hot" he said with a hoarse voice. Amber nodded and put a wet rag on his forehead. "Stop it." he ordered her. "I won't." he pulled the wet rag from his face. "Damn it, Rust! Just swallow you pride and let me help you." She scolded him. "You will detox, no matter what." He glanced over to her. "How do you know?" "Know what? That you might wanna continue doing drugs? That you liked it back in the gang. Hell, I know! Have seen this way too often from my dad and later from Ginger. I get it. It is easier to just repress your brain and thoughts. But it ain't work that way."

He smiled at her. "How does it work then?" "I only know that you don't get to pull an early out! Nobody gets that under my supervision!" Now he laughed at her. "I don't believe in the concept of suicide, don't worry." She glared at him. "Yeah. Right. Not the active suicide so you choose to let the drugs do the dirty work for you, don't you? Coward." He wanted to disagree with her but his eyelids were so heavy. He drifted away again into the land of bad dreams as he heard a whisper. "You made mistakes in your life? Fine. Now you have to live with them."

He woke up again in the early afternoon. He was sweating and his mouth was dry as if he has eaten sand. Furthermore his bladder was nearly exploding. He fought his way out of the thin sheets and got up by leaning on the wall to his left. He searched the room with a glance but Amber was nowhere to be seen. Not that he would ask her to help him to get to the toilet, hell no, but he wondered where she could be.

He dragged his body upstairs and into the bathroom which was surprisingly very clean. Finally there, he slumped down on the toilet, his knees to shaky to stand. The front door slammed close and Amber went with the brown paper bag to the kitchen, humming a melodic tune. "Rust?" she called him as soon as she saw that the bed was abandoned. He was already half way down the stairs.

"Hey, you woke up!" She removed her sunglasses and pulled the silky champagne colored head scarf down. Rust clung to the door frame. "You have been outside?" he stumbled to the kitchen window and peeked outside. "Yes, we were low on supplies." She said with a professional sound in her voice. "You should not risk that." He added as he was checking the backyard. She sighed. "They smashed the Iron Crusaders. Well, not entirely of course, but with your and Martins discovery of the drug lab and the kids they had enough to storm the clubhouse. Miles and a few other important gang members are in custody, others left the state or just vanished. I don't think, it's save for me to go outside, but it's not too risky anymore either."

She pointed to the sunglasses and the scarf. "I even took precautions." He nodded and sat down on a barstool with a bottle of orange juice. "How do you know all that?" he asked curious as he sat the neck of the bottle on his lips. "I… I might have taken the newspaper of your neighbor one night." She admitted with a little smile around her lips while she stored away groceries.

"Anyway, you should not go outside until I have confirmed that your information is right." He was still just in his shorts and Amber stared at him for a moment while she had her hands in the brown paper back wrapped around a can. He looked up while drinking from the bottle and caught her gazing. Amber quickly casted down her eyes and continued piling the cans in the cupboard.

"I'm glad that you woke up. I was worried." He furrowed his brows. "Worried? How long did I sleep?" She gazed over her shoulder to him. "Two days since you last woke up." Rust looked up ,one bare foot at the floor, the other on the footrest of his stool. "Huh. Interesting." "Don't just say that. I was really worried." And here she goes, he thought to himself.

"Look, Amber." He started. "I appreciate that you helped me. But you have no reason to worry about me." Rust was trying to explain it to her as gentle as possible. "You can stay here, as long as you want to and you helped me a lot with my case. I'm thankful that you told me about Ledoux. But as I mentioned, you have no right to worry about my wellbeing. You are not responsible for it. After all, these are my decisions and I'm accountable to none." She sighed. "I know that Rust. Are you done with your little speech about your independence. And don't worry; as soon as I get my hands on my stuff from my apartment I will be no longer in your hair."

He groaned. "That's not what I meant." Amber interrupted him. "But I did." They glared at each other across the kitchen until Rust broke the silence. "Very well. That could be a little difficult." He sipped again. "Why is that?" she asked suspiciously, narrowing her eyes. Rust lit a cigarette and took a deep draw, holding the smoke in his lungs for a moment, his head tilted back before answering on an exhale of smoke. "Cause your apartment is official a crime scene." She let the bag of bread fall to the floor. "What?! Why?"

He chuckled. "What did you think? There were dead people lying just in front of the bar where you were working and suddenly you don't return home. Oh, and did I mention that the dead people belonged to the iron crusaders? Too much coincidence, if you ask me and I'm not the only smart one working for the police, you know." She sat down on the bar stool next to him. "Damn." Amber thought for a moment before continuing. "Should I hand myself in?" he stubbed out his cigarette. "Let me return to work, I will keep my ears open. When I find something out, we can make further plans." He stood up and placed a pat on her head before turning to his bed. His legs still felt weak and he groaned stifled as he slumped down. "But for now, I need to rest some more."


	5. Chapter 5

p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"strongI got a follower. I try to keep it cool but I'm so excited! Someone likes my story. Yay! /strong/p  
hr style="color: #000000; font-family: -webkit-standard;" noshade="noshade" size="1" /  
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"strongRust/strong was dressed in a white t-shirt and jeans. "Come on! Take me with you. I was almost a whole week inside here and your books aren't really what I call high-end entertainment." "You have been shopping today." She growled in disapproval. "Yeah, dressed like a wanna-be superstar who doesn't want to be recognized. And I rushed through the shop, talked to no one, paid cash. Come on, Rust. I'm bored!" he sighed "You will wear your headscarf and your sunglasses." She crossed her arms under her breasts which caused them to be pushed up a bit. /p  
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"Amber did not notice, but Rust did of course. His view for details was usually a good thing for his job but right now it distracted him from the argument. "I will leave my sunglasses at home; it would look suspicious if I wear them at night and I will take the headscarf with me. Just in case." /p  
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"Does she not wear a bra, he wondered while looking for the traces of straps under her white shirt. He held his cigarette between middle finger and thumb as he took a draw. "Okay." He took the car keys and turned to the door, a happy Amber behind him. She crashed in his back as he suddenly stopped in his tracks. Her hands grabbed the seam of his shirt in the attempt to regain her balance./p  
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;" "Sorry" she muttered as she let go and Rust pushed his shirt back into the jeans. He raised his right hand, his index finger and middle finger were pointed at her face. "You will do as I say. Got it?" She nodded preferring not to speak. She was not sure if she would be able to not mention the ambiguity of his sentence. A cold shiver ran down her spine and she gulped as she followed him to his truck. "May I drive?" He turned to her and looked questionably. She shrugged./p  
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""I like big cars." She said with a sparkle in her eyes. He threw the keys in her direction and she caught them with both hands, a pleased grin on her face when she did it successfully. "Don't crash my pick-up." He mumbled as he sat down shotgun. "I won't." she assured and started the engine. Her scarf lay forgotten between the front seats. "So, which gas station do you prefer?" /p  
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"It was already dark outside and Rust had decided that he would refuel his truck this evening so that he did not has to do it in the morning on the way to work. Martin called him earlier this evening and demanded that he show his face tomorrow at the interrogation. He told him that he could not imagine anything that he would rather do and Martin hung up soon after. He was so done with Rusts shit./p  
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"He took a cigarette between his lips and pointed to the left. "That way." He muttered around his cigarette. Amber turned the steering wheel and the big pick up slowly rolled onto the street. "I thought I have seen a gas station just at the end of the road the other direction." She said soft-spoken. "Yeah, there is one, but it is heavily frequented so we are driving to another one." He explained to her. "Nice, so I can be longer outside."/p  
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"She said while cranking down the window. It was warm for this time of the year but it cooled down once the sun was gone and the wind did the rest to make the girl shiver. One arm hanging out of the window, the other on top of the steering wheel she drove relaxed through the dark night, the radio blared an old blues song as she shivered and goosebumps formed on her skin. The wind blew through her hair and puffed it up. One flick of her hair streaked Rusts cheek and he looked over to her./p  
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"The cigarette hung loose in the corner of his mouth as he stared at her. The approaching cars headlights made her hair twinkle and shimmer golden, her pale skin seemed translucent and he discovered that she had little freckles not even on her face and shoulders and arms but even on the top of her knees. /p  
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"His vision blurred as she looked over to him and his heart raced. He forced himself to look straight out of the windshield and his hand shot up, placing two fingers on his carotid artery. He closed his eyes as he counted his heartbeats as they were slowing down. In his head he cursed his halucinations. "Are you alright?" Amber asked with a worried look on her face./p  
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""What did I tell ya about worrying about me?" she rolled her eyes and with displeasure he continued. "I guess my visions are more frequent now after the heavy drug use." "Visions?" she asked, occasionally glancing between him and the street. He sighed. "Visions, like chemical flashbacks, uh neural damage from my time undercover."/p  
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""Yeah, I know that this can happen sometimes. So you have it? Shit, why didn't you say anything?" and as she thought further about it. "Damn, why did you went back to the gang? There had to be another way." After a while she added. "Fuck, Rust, you would have driven the car with these visions?" he exhaled deeply./p  
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""Relax. I've got it under control. Besides, I can always tell what is real and what is not." She nodded. They were out of the town now, driving through swamp and fields, behind a turn in the road she could see a small gas station with two gas pumps and a little shop. The lights were flickering "Is this the gas station you mean?" "Yeah it is."/p  
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"She drove slowly next to one of the gas pumps. "May I?" she asked almost pleading. His eye twitched and she could tell that he wanted to decline. "There is no one around!" She gestured outside. He made a smacking sound with his mouth and then gestured her to go ahead. "Yes!" she celebrated almost as she swung open the door and slid from her driver's seat to the ground. She went around the car and began to refuel it./p  
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"Rust watched her in the mirror, how she inhaled deeply the cold air of the evening and then shivered again. Wrapping her arms around her body she stood next to the gas pump waiting for it to finish. The nozzle snapped and she hung it back at the pump returning to passenger's seat. She leaned with both arms against the cold metal and smiled at him and said with her best southern accent: "You could spare a dollar, handsome?"/p  
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"He looked away, covering his grin with his hand as if he had to scratch his nose before he gave her his wallet. "Don't run away with it. I know where you live." She winked at him and went to pay for the fuel. While she walked to the little shop another car parked at the gas pump behind him. He watched it carefully in the rear mirror./p  
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"There hung a rifle behind the driver. Rust narrowed his eyes. A man left the car, pulling his jeans up as he went for the nozzle. Another one was still sitting in the old pick up, watching Amber chatting with the young cashier. She left the station and the eyes of the other man were following her./p  
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"He did not like that! He did not like that at all. His hands twitched and he could not keep his calm any longer. He skidded side wards onto the driver's seat and gestured Amber to sit shotgun. She furrowed her brows but did as he wanted. As soon as she closed the door he whispered to her "Keep your head down."/p  
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"Rust still observed the two men behind them as he started the engine and rolled slowly onto the street, driving further away from the city. Lights beamed up behind them as the other truck took the turn in the road. He grabbed Ambers neck and pushed her down. She was laying across the seats now; her head almost in the lap of Rust but both seemed not notice that./p  
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""What is wrong?" she asked quietly. "I don't know. I think I have seen these two somewhere else before but I'm not sure." He turned off the headlights and turned right in a small street between the trees. He stopped the engine and watched the street behind him, his grip still around the neck of Amber. She realized that he was trembling slightly. The truck was driving along the street without noticing them. He sighed deeply in relief and let Amber free as he put a cigarette between his lips and lit it./p  
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"She sat up in her seat and rubbed her neck. "Too tight?" he asked while glancing over her from the corner of his eyes before his view returned to the rear mirror. "Nah, it's fine." She stared at his now steady hand holding the cigarette. "What is it now?" he snarled at her. She smirked and then shook her head. "I just realized that you were concerned."/p  
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""Huh. Of course I was. No one can know that you are with me. The police are looking for you. I would be in deep trouble." She rolled her eyes and said sarcastically "Right." He looked at her in disbelieve as he snipped the tip out of the window and started the engine. Without further incidents they drove home in silence./p  
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;" /p  
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"She was standing by the door as soon as she heard his truck in the drive way. It was already evening and he had left the house early this morning. He has met with Martin before the interrogation to match their stories once again, but Amber did not know that. What happened that day would always be a secret between the two men and no one else./p  
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"He opened the door and was met with the curious glare of a ginger haired girl in her late-twenties. Rust was surprised how fast he adjusted to living with her. "So?" she asked hopefully. "So,what?" "So, what is my apartment doing?" she tilted her head sideways and her hair flipped over her shoulder. He removed his shoes and went upstairs. "Later, first I need a shower." He went into the bathroom and undressed./p  
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"It was a hard day for him. He was not totally clean from the drugs yet and struggled with keeping pace with Martin but he would never admit it to anyone or himself. Rust noticed the fresh towels which were hanging in front of the radiator on a towel rack. He grabbed one and placed it in front of the shower on the floor before turning the water on and stepping in./p  
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"Martin had changed towards him. He was more respectful, as if he just accepted that Cohle was a good detective, but Rust guessed that there was more behind it. He thought that he had gained Martins approval due to his handling of the case. And well, after all they were successfully. The hot water ran down over his body and the tense muscles in his shoulders slowly relaxed. With a white undershirt and jeans he came back downstairs, hair still wet./p  
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""What is that smell?" He asked Amber who was sitting on one of the barstools reading one of his books. Without looking up she said "It's Jambalaya. I was hungry and did not want anymore canned food." He went over to the stove and opened the pot. It was still hot and plenty enough to serve a whole family. He took a spoon and tried a bit./p  
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""You can have it if you want. I already ate." He narrowed his eyes looking at her with a puzzled, leery look on his face but she did not seem to notice or she does not want to notice still looking on her book. Rust took a bowl and filled it up with Ambers Jambalaya before sitting in front of her on the kitchen counter. "Crawfish?" he asked and she nodded while closing the book about psychological analyses of sex offenders./p  
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""I like seafood. So, about my apartment." He gestured with his empty spoon while chewing. "I've heard around and it seems like they have no information about you despite your appearance." He took another spoon full of rice. "Good job on the Landlord, I have to say."/p  
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"She smiled. "Thank you." "My colleagues are clueless about your whereabouts even after questioning him. They brought him in, this poor bastard, thought he had to leave the country, back to India. So, I watched the interrogation and they were not gentle, I tell ya. All he said was, that you were," he cleared his throat to imitate the high pitch of the Indian and his accent. "So beautiful young girl. Always nice to me, always smiled. Rent always on time!"/p  
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"Rust was in a good mood, Amber noticed. A rare occasion. "They tightened the screws on him why there were no lease, no ID deposited, not even a name and finally he caved in. You payed double and in advance. Good girl."/p  
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"He shrugged. "Maybe my father passed more down to his akin than he realized." He fished one piece of prawn out of his dish and put it in his mouth. "And my apartment?" his nose was running due to the hot meal and he snuffled. "I asked if I could take a look in it. Maybe I'll recognize something about the girl living there because I know the IC. The major gave me the keys without questions." He let the set of keys dangle in front of her face. 6 or 7 keys in different shapes and colors' and a key pendant, a stylized brazen bird skull./p  
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""My keys!" she wanted to grab them but he withdrew. "They were in your jacket lying outside of the bar." He examined them. "Why the bird skull?" "It's pretty." He wrinkled up his nose. "So you wanna go collect your shit out of your apartment?" she clapped her hands with joy. "Definitely!" "Okay, let me eat up and then we can go. And you wear your headscarf and your damn sunglasses. No discussion! I don't wanna repeat the last incident."/p  
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""Fine with me as long as I get my stuff." He stuffed the rest of the Jambalaya in his mouth and put the bowl in the sink. "You're ready to go?" she was already wearing the headscarf, sunglasses and her shoes. She was so impatient to get her stuff, he became aware of. There was a sting developing just behind his right ear but he shoved the sudden sensation away with a shrug of his right shoulder, grabbed a hoodie and tossed it at Amber. "You were cold last time." She looked at him with a smile and slipped in the grey hoodie./p  
hr style="color: #000000; font-family: -webkit-standard;" noshade="noshade" size="1" /  
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"emI'm currently busy with my Bachelor Thesis and can't write as much as I want to. I have almost...idk, maybe 9 chapters already written and i will try to upload every week around monday or tuesday. I'm done with my Bachelor thesis within a month so please bear with me! If everything goes according to my plan there will be a lot more to read for you.../em/p 


	6. Chapter 6

Aaaand I'm back to zero followers :D Learned my lesson, I will not brag about this stuff anymore. So, this is a short chapter but i really wanted this part of my story to stand alone. But I promised a new chapter every monday, therefore I'm uploading the next chapter today, too. I hope you enjoy.

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 **They were standing** in front of the former motel a half hour now. Amber grew more and more impatient while Rust chain smoked. "You lived here?" He finally said after she sighed loudly and crossed her arms under her chest. "Yes!" She spitted out angry. "Were there no" he was searching for words "Other places?"

She looked at him with disbelieve. "Serious? Are you offended by my domicile?" The two story building was a wreck. Some of the first floor apartments were nailed up with planks, and the paint of the façade was spalling. "It is close to the bar where I worked." She explained grim. "Are we done with surveillance?" he flicked away the cigarette butt and left the car; Amber did the same and followed him up the stairs to the second floor. He looked at her questioningly and she pointed to the 3 door to their right. He went ahead of Amber and unlocked the door slowly. Amber went in and Rust closed the door behind them. "No lights."

He ordered. The light from the streetlamp falling through the window was enough to see the interior. The bed was standing on the right, next to a cupboard. There were no personal belongings in the room like he had expected from a girl. Amber opened the build in wardrobe and towed a duffle bag out of it. She threw it on the bed and started tossing clothes in it. The wardrobe was almost empty to begin with, only a few shirts, some skirts and shorts, Rust has counted only one jeans.

Amber went into the bathroom and casted her things in the already prepared dopp bag. She came back into the room and stuffed it into the duffle bag before she returned to the bathroom. "Can I borrow your gun?" she heard her asking.

With furrowed brows he went to the bathroom door. She was standing on top of the toilet and tried to loosen one tile. "I can't get it off." She explained. Rust gestured her to step down and squeezed his body past her into the small bathroom. He reached to the tile with one hand without stepping on the toilet and clawed at the edges before pulling it off in one smooth motion.

Behind was a small hole, carved in the brick wall of the building. She climbed the toilet and pulled a paper bag out of it full of money, passports and ID's. She tiptoed and stuck her arm even deeper in the hole.

Suddenly she screamed, pulled her arm bag in a hurry and fell off of the toilet. Rust who was standing behind her caught her quick-thinking. "Get it off, Get it off!" she screamed hysterically shaking her right arm in panic.

A thick black spider was sitting on her hand. Rust grabbed her arm and thrusted the spider to the floor where he stepped on it immediately. Amber was still pressed with her back against his chest; he was holding her right arm with his right hand. Her heart was racing like racehorse, beating against his rib cage.

"Holy shit!" she spat breathless. Rust let her go and stepped on the toilet, pushing one arm in the hole and revealed his finding, a small handgun. "A colt SF-VI. Cute." He checked the cylinder and found it fully stocked. She held her hand open, expecting him to hand the weapon over but for a moment he hesitated.

"The gun does not look good on you, Rust." She teased him. "You're not planning something stupid, are you?" he asked her with a serious look on his face. "No! It is just in case." He nodded a little bit reassured and handed the small colt over. She took it and put it in the waistband on her back of her shorts. He looked at her with a puzzled look.

"I always wanted to do that." She grinned. "I feel so badass right now!" he laid one hand on his forehead. "A minute ago you were screaming like somebody was trying to kill you because a little spider was sitting on your arm." She had left the bathroom already and shouldered her duffle bag.

"Whoa! First of all, it was not a little spider, that motherfucker was some mutated giant ass spider thing! And second. That was a moment ago. NOW I feel badass."

He stifled a laughter and went to the door, opening it slowly and glancing outside. Everything seemed okay, so he pushed the door fully open. He placed the car keys in her hand. "Wait for me in the truck." He whispered to her and then returned to the small room.

He flipped over the bed, smashed the wardrobe door and pushed over the cupboard. Satisfied with the look of the room he closed the door behind him, locked it and then kicked it open again. "Now, no one will wonder why your stuff is gone." He explained while turning the key to start the engine.

They drove back to Rusts house in silence until he broke it eventually. "So, you're going to look for a new apartment?" she shrugged. "Sure. But first I need a new work place. After that I will look for a place to live nearby."

He lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply. "Something in mind?" he threw a quick glance over to her and then focused back on the street. "I don't know. Something where they don't pay attention to tax identification numbers or ID's in general."

"Can't you get a new identity and just vanish again?"

she looked at him with a disbelieving look. "I don't…I don't know. Maybe." She stammered.

Vanish again?

Did he want that, she asked herself. She did not realize that he wanted her to disappear. She was hurt deeply as she came aware of this and went silent for the rest of the drive.

He parked the truck in the driveway and reached out for her heavy duffle bag but she preempted him. "I've got it." She declared to him and left the car with it. As soon as they were inside she asked "You gonna stay up a bit?" he nodded.

"Don't have much a choice. Won't sleep." She nodded with a blank face "I will sleep upstairs then. I'm tired and need rest." He crocked his eyebrow but agreed with her. "Yeah, do that. I don't wanna keep you up all night."

She went upstairs without mentioning the ambiguous of his sentence and closed the door behind her. Rust was puzzled about her rapid change in behavior. It didn't fit her at all but he had to admit, she was overly eager to get her stuff. Maybe it was all a charade, her caring and laughing and sweet manner.

He had to be realistic. She was busted by the Iron Crusaders and had nowhere to go except to him. She had knowledge to crush the gang and let him know about it. By coincident the Ledoux information helped him a lot so she could pull the favor of retrieving her stuff.

Now that she got it, they were even. There was no need for her to act sweet around him anymore. She got what she came for and that's it. Damn she even cooked dinner for him. He thought that it was suspicious the very moment she offered him some.

The bonding with her was all his drugged up imagination he concluded as he poured himself a shot of whiskey. He leaned against the kitchen counter and exhaled slowly the smoke of the cigarette before taking a drink.

Thanks for everything. –Amber

Nothing more was on the paper she left on the kitchen counter. She had placed it under his pack of cigarettes, making sure he would find it in the morning. As if he would not find a piece of paper in his almost empty house. So she was on the run again, trying to get through with working part time at bars, best case scenario. He sighed at the imagination of the worst case scenario. Screwing up, fleeing, repeat.

Rustin buried his face in his hands. He hated it when he was right.


	7. Chapter 7

Amber was standing in front of the mirror, doing her make-up. She shared the story with the other girl working at the diner downstairs. It was small and directly under the roof. At this time of the year it was unbearable inside without an AC.

The diner was north of Lafayette near a tiny brown lake. Her apartment, she likes to call it that, but it was just a small room and a bathroom but both of the girl were allowed to use the kitchen and the supplies of the diner so there was no need for an own kitchen. The owner, Carl, was a nice guy with a soft heart and as soon as Amber started to cry in the job interview as he asked her for her family she had the job without giving an ID.

A few months back, Carl took her to the side and told her "Amber, you're doing a fine job. I've never regretted employing you." And as long as she keeps the good work up, her job was safe, she assumed. A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. "Amber, are you ready?" Amy had to work until noon today and Amber was working from noon until the diner closed in the early morning for an hour for cleaning up.

"I'm coming!" she yelled back, put her necklace around her neck and hurried downstairs. "Hey Larry!" she greeted the cook. "Hey Amber, where have you been? Amy was on tenterhooks down here. Didn't she mentioned, that she is leaving an half hour early today?"

Amber put on her apron with her name embroidered in cursive on the left side. "She did, she did! I was almost ready when she came upstairs, must have been lost in my thoughts." Amber went to the service hatch were two plates were standing already. "Table 2 and the tall man on the counter." She spun around with her "Today I'm getting tips!" smile on her face and swept to the tall man on the counter before she went to the second booth.

Rust came out of the interrogation room with his sleeved rolled up, his tattoo only half visible. "You can have him, Marty." He addressed his partner who was standing outside.

Martin knew that interrogations were the strong point of Rust and usually let him handle the suspects. He never failed him. Martin was half way through the door as he called out for Rust. "Hey, Maggie asks if you were coming over tonight. It has been far too long and she still feels awful about what she said to you earlier this year." He was referring to the incident right before he went undercover again at the tiny diner outside of Lafayette.

"No more set ups?" he rolled his eyes "You know Maggie, Rust! You have to tell her that yourself, but at least tonight won't be a date, I promise." He sighed and shrugged with the file still in his right hand. "I'll bring flowers."

"So, Rust, how have you been, now that you're a local hero? I guess the women must chase you?" Maggie started the conversation after Marty left the room to tuck the two girls into bed. Rust was drinking ice tea, his hand around the glass, the other hand dangled from the table, the elbow resting on the surface.

"Nah, it's nothing like that." He took a sip, hoping the conversation would take a turn. "How so? You're a handsome guy in the right age. I can't imagine why there shouldn't be a woman in your life." She teased him while she cleared the table.

"I've got this friend at the Hospital. She's a doctor. I think you two could be a good match." She set the casserole dish under water to let it soak. "Maybe she can even get you the good drugs, remember?" Maggie joked while Rust was just staring in his ice tea. "I think, you need to stop setting me up." He interrupted her rambling.

Maggie was still standing at the sink, her back facing Rust as she tilted her head backwards. "Rust, I'm sorry what I said that day, how often do I need to apologize until you can forgive me?" He did not answer and took another sip. Maggie returned to the table and sat down next to him; she reached for his hand and held it. "Look, I was hurt, angry and raging out of jealousy. I did not mean to hurt you and I really regret it. Please, it can't always be so awkward between us. You will continue working with my husband and I will invite you to dinner every now and then. So, could you at least tell me if you can forgive me eventually?"

"I'm not mad at you Maggie. I" he sighed and leaned back in his chairs, folding his hands in his lap to avoid anymore skin contact with the woman. "I just don't wanna see someone. So, just don't set me up with anyone anymore, okay?" Maggie eyed him up. "Alright. I will stop." She shuffled closer to him with her chair. "Is everything okay, Rust?" Martin came in with a bright smile on his face and Rust did not answer Maggie's question.

"They're in bed" Maggie smiled at him while he sat down. "So, what have you two been talking about?" Rust stood up, "Nothing in particular. I told her how my dad used to make tuna casserole and she promised me to cook it for me the next time I'll come over. Do you mind if I go take a smoke?" Maggie just nodded and Martin stood up. "I'm coming with you there is this case I need to discuss with you."

They were sitting at the back porch, Martin with a glass of ice tea in his hand; he was trying to cut back on liquor and Rust smoked his second cigarette. "So, you and Maggie talked it out?" he nodded while the smoke swirled out of his nose.

"We did." Martin leaned back, arms on the backrest. "Good, good. That is good." Martin sighed with pleasure. Everything seemed to turn out good. He's back together with Maggie, they rescued the kids, the board believed their story, Rust loosened up a little. Well kind off, Marty realizes.

He went just quiet since the shooting. "Thanks for the dinner. I'll go inside and say goodbye to Maggie on my way out. See you tomorrow." He sat straight. "Rust. Wait. You heard about the man, found at the coast? Major wants us to investigate it; he told me when you left. So, no need to go to the HQ tomorrow morning. How about, I get to you around 9?" "Yah." He agreed and went inside.


	8. Chapter 8

Recently the number of people who are reading this little story seems to increase and that makes me really happy. Just wanna let you know.

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The local sheriff of Abbeville showed them the place where the body was found. The corpse was already in the pathology department. In the hot weather of autumn it was not possible to leave the corpse as found. So Rust and Marty has to investigate the place where the body was found without the actual body present. "You have the pictures with you?" Rust asked the sheriff not looking away from the trampled grass.

"Sure, sure." The sheriff fished a brown envelope out of his inner pocket and handed them over. The naked body was lying in an almost 90 degree angle to the water on the embankment. Arms close to his body, legs stretched out. "Marty." He called his partner over. "Look at this."

Rust handed it over and went to the exact spot where the corpse had been lying, investigating the ground. "The body was not washed up." Marty concluded before adding. "And the grass is not crashed down in these pictures." Martin turned to face the sheriff. "Why is the grass crashed down now?" The sheriff began to sweat.

"I …I don't know. I was there when they moved the body, my boys were very carefully to not contaminate the scene." Martins jaw tightened. "So you allowed some unknown persons to tinker with our crime scene over night?" "Persons? Like plural?" he asked frightened. Martin invaded his personal space and tipped with his finger on the chest of the stout policeman. "Yes, sheriff, plural. There are different shoe sizes to be found."

The sheriff stepped back, intimidated by the tall blond man. "We…we secured the scene with police tape." Martin lifted his eyebrows. "Oh, than I have been mistaken and these footprints and the trampled grass is just an illusion cause no one would ever trespass a police tape, right?!" the sheriff got really nervous but fortunately, Rust who has placed markers all over the scene called for his partner. "Look at that." He pointed to the marker with the number 8 on it and Martin crouched down to inspect the evidence. A piece of a napkin lay there between the trampled grasses, almost not to be found. It was heavily damaged by the water but still, a little red cursive C could be spotted on it. Rust took a photo of it and then packed it in a plastic bag.

A few hours later they were done with investigating the crime scene. The sheriff had given them the address of the fisherman who had found the body and they were on their way to him. "Not much yet, huh?" Martin said to Rust who was sitting on the passenger seat, flicking through the photos of the corpse. "No." he answered and went silent again.

"I don't know who that man was." The middle aged man explained. "I just found him there and called the police. That's all." He sat down in his boat and continued to repair the outboard engine. "Anything that looked strange to you?" he spat out. "Besides that there was a dead body? No, Sir." Rust stepped forward. "Thanks for your help sir, we won't be bothering you any longer, but would you take a look on this picture please."

Rust showed him the picture of the raddled napkin with the C on it on his digital camera. "Looks familiar to you?" He looked from Martin to Rust. "I don't know. Maybe from chip shop or so?" "Are there any chip shops around here with customized napkins." He laughed. "Nah I don't think so. That is too fancy for any of those places." Rust forced himself to smile "Thank you, Sir" and walked back to the car, Marty followed.

Back in Abbeville they went to the pathology to get the results of the examination of the corpse. The tox screen was negative and there was nothing extraordinary found on or in the body. The bullet in his head was a 9mm, a very common caliber. "I send the fingerprints and the dental impression to the HQ. Maybe they will find a match."

The Doctor declared. "Beyond that, I have no news for you, detectives. He clearly died due to the bullet and was placed in the water afterwards. There is no water in his lungs, but he must have been flooding around a bit, there are scratch marks all over his body, I assume from driftwood or other objects in the water. Someone must have lifted him out of the water cause his tissue dried a little and there are postmortem bruises on his shoulders which originated hours after his death." "How long was he in the water?" Marty asked.

"Around 5 to 10 hours. Due to the look of the bullet wound I assume that he was thrown into the water immediately after he was shot." Rust summed the timeline up. "So, time of death would be?" "48 to 36 hours from now." "So, he was killed during the night the day before yesterday." "Exactly." "Thanks, doc." They arrived in Lafayette late that night so Martin dropped Rust off at his house instead of driving to the headquarters to write the report.

Rust did not sleep that night and he was more grumpy than usual that morning. He was sitting in one of the conference rooms with the type writer, the photos and a whiteboard. He already had finished the timeline and was now busy with analyzing the footprints. "Wow, did you catch the worm, early bird?" Rust did not look up from the photo he was holding in his hands.

"Not yet." Martin set his coffee mug down on the table. "You know, Maggie talked to me about you, that you have changed. I know, you don't want me infiltrating your private life so I'm just asking if there is something I should be worried about?" Rust threw the photo back on the pile of other photos. "He looked he was starting one of his little speeches and Martin already regretted asking him in the first place.

But then he just took the next photo from the table and said "No." he sighed in annoyance and sat down on one of the chairs. "Any leads?" Rust showed him the picture of the napkin. "Until we have no ID I think we should first start looking for the place where they use these napkins. I have narrowed it down to places like, bars, pubs, diners, cafes and so on which have a C in their name." he gave Martin a list of places which he should check out. "You have east of the 167 and 82, I have west."

Amber was working graveyard when Martin came in. It was the last place he needed to check and only a few truckers were sitting on the counter. Martin has found a few businesses which were using red imprinted napkins and some of them even had a c in them but none of them matched as good as Carl's diner napkins. The capital cursive C was a perfect match he realized. Martin placed the napkin back on the table near the door and went to the counter where he took a seat.

Amber's blood froze as she saw Martin coming through the door. They never spoke or even saw each other but she recognized him from the pictures which were all around south Louisiana almost a year ago. She swallowed her fear down and went to him, pot of coffee ready to him with a plastered smile on her face.

"Good evening." She greeted him and held up the pot. Martin nodded and she filled the white mug up in front of him. She was almost gone when she stopped in her tracks and flashed a shy smile at him. "I'm sorry if I am bothering you, but aren't you one of the cops who rescued these kids?"

Martin smiled back at the young beautiful red haired waitress. "In fact, I am." She settled the pot down. "Uh, how exciting! You're here on a coffee break or something?" she asked ingenuous. "I'm afraid I'm not. There is this case where we found probably one of your napkins on the scene." He whipped out the photo of the demolished napkin. "Indeed, it looks like one of ours."

She leaned with her arms folded under her breasts against the counter, making sure Martin got a good look of her breasts. "So, was there something suspicious the last day?" she laid one finger across her lips and looked up. "Ohm, I don't think so, no. Nothing unusual." Martin pocketed the picture and fished another out. "Do you know this man?" Amber looked down to his hands where he held a picture of the dead man's face. She furrowed her brows before saying. "No, I think I have never seen him, or at least I don't remember. We have so many customers each day." She tried to explain.

"I understand. Does this business have a video surveillance?" he pointed to the camera in one of the corners. She looked up and then back to him. "I'm sorry, I'm afraid this is just a fake one. The owner of the business installed it when we started 24/7 opening hours." Martin smiled at her. "Too bad. Any other waitresses which I can ask about this guy?" "Oh, Yeah, Amy, Georgina and Rick. And Carl, the owner is sometimes helping out when it gets really busy but they are all not available at this time, I'm sorry." "No problem, then I'll be coming back in the morning."

He drank up his coffee and was just getting up when Amber addressed him. "Didn't you have a partner back then? I thought, there were two hero detectives. Did something happen? Police is a dangerous job." " Ah, yes, Mr. Cohle, no, he is alright, we were just splitting up to cover more ground." "Ah, of course, a logically move." Martin left the dinner.

It knocked on the back door to Rust's home and soon afterward he opened it. "I have the diner." He cracked. "It's near Charon, east of Abbeville. The napkins match perfectly." Martin reached in his inner pocket and gave a napkin to Rust. "Carl's dinner." He read out loud. "Yeah, but the waitress who was working shift couldn't help me, but I can't get rid of the feeling she knows something. I showed her the picture of the dead body with the bullet wound in his forehead, I did not prepare her and she did not even flinch!" He sat down in one of the camping chairs. "We should investigate that place tomorrow together. "Maybe you can get something out of her."

The next morning they were driving back to the dinner. A young man was standing near a table with a notepad in his hand taking orders. Martin and Rust took a seat at the counter and the waiter were on his way to them. "Coffee and breakfast?" he asked them. "Oh, yeah, coffee and some French toast." Martin answered. "Only coffee." Rust added. The waiter yelled in the kitchen. "One French toast, Larry." and returned with the coffee pot. "And if you have the time, we would like to ask you a few questions." Martin mentioned casually while placing his batch on the counter.

The detective looked at the apron where the name of the waiter was imprinted. "Rick, I have talked to your colleague yesterday night but she did not remember this man," he showed him the picture. "But maybe you do." "Oh Gosh." He let the words slip before he could place a hand on his mouth. Martin grinned. That was the reaction he had expected from the girl the night before. Rick cleared his throat before answering. "No, Sir. I do not recognize this man." Martin sighed. "Is, I think her name was Amber available? I would like to ask her a few more questions."

Rust raised his head and started at a point in front of him. "No, Amber is mostly working graveyard, she is sleeping right now." Rust blinked. There it was again. This name. "Too bad, any other Waiters available? I think a Georgina and an Amy were mentioned." He nodded. "Yeah, Georgina should be here shortly and Amy is taking the evening shift today. If you're coming back at around 10 pm you should meet both, Amy and Amber." Rust head twitched as if he were shivering.

"Excuse me" he addressed the young man. "May I look around a bit?" Rick looked at him, unsure what to say. "Uh, yeah, I guess so. But please refrain from touching anything." Rust nodded took his notebook and went into the kitchen where Larry was setting two French toast on a plate. "What the hell" he yelled as he saw Rust. Rick went to the service hatch and took the plate. "It's okay, Larry. He is police."

Rust strolled through the kitchen and the storeroom before taking a look into the cooling chamber. He was standing in front of the back door which was open but the mosquito screen door was shut. Rust curiously opened the door to his left and found a stairway upstairs. "Hey, Mister. I'm sorry, but that is private area." Larry yelled at him, sticking his head out of the kitchen door. Rust closed the door, opened his notebook and returned to the kitchen. "You have seen something suspiciously the last week?"

Larry crossed his arms and leaned against the service hatch. "No." "What about this Amber. Did she not mention that my partner was here this night?" "She was tired and went straight to bed." "I see" Rust muttered and took some notes. "Isn't that unusual?" "No, she is working 10 hours every night. Of course she is tired." "We have found blond hair on the body, could it match hers?" he lied to Larry with a blank face. "No." "Why is that?" Larry laughed. "Because she is not blond!"

"Rust?" Martin called him from the counter where he had questioned Georgina who was just in. Rust closed his notebook and left the kitchen. On the way out he mumbled "Thanks, for your help, Sir." Martin leaned closer to Rust. "I was paged. We have a match with a missing person." "Alright." He drank up his coffee and followed Marty to the car.

"So, I'm driving to the family of the dead man and deliver the bad news of the dead of their husband and father." He did not want to do this but he could not send this uncaring internally dead man to do this job. Furthermore would he be more effective interviewing Amy and Amber at the diner.

Rust arrived at the diner around 8 pm and questioned the young Mexican girl. She was so nervous she almost fainted until Rust assured her that he was not with the immigration office. They were sitting on a table, Rust drinking coffee and Amy a glass of water. He got nothing out of her. He sighed and tried another tactic. "So, Amy. That is an unusual name for a Mexican girl."

She looked up, the first time without trembling or tears in her eyes. "My parents named me Ana-Maria. But when I… moved here I started to call myself Amy." "A smart move." He complimented her. "So, you have any friends here?" "Yes, they are all very nice to me, especially Amber." He got this stinging headache behind his right ear. "Tell me about her." She looked frightened at him. "Don't worry, she is not a suspect. But maybe she knows the murder."

Still suspicious she began to talk "We share an apartment. And when a customer's gets to close she jumps always in between." The corner of his mouth twitched. "Sounds like a real friend."

"You say it, one time, I had this boyfriend, and I don't know what was wrong with me for staying with this abusive bastard. So I came home with a black eye and Amber grabbed me and shook me until I revealed where he lived. She took Larry's car and when she came back she just nodded in my direction. I have never seen him again." He smiled. "Thanks, that helped a lot. We will be in touch." He took his notebook and left the diner. Amy was speechless and did not understand why he took a fast exit. But she had work to do. Amy collected the empty dishes and took orders.


	9. Chapter 9

Rust sat in his truck. He has parked the red vehicle so that he could watch the diner in the side view mirror. An empty bottle of cough syrup lay on the passenger seat. But the DXM showed no effect, he still felt miserable. But then he caught a glimpse of red hair through the service hatch. No car had arrived in the last thirty minutes. So he was right in his assumption that Amy and Amber lived upstairs.

The phrase of Larry had sounded weird, that Amber went straight to bed after her shift. Wouldn't he have said that she drove straight home if she were actually living someplace else? The ginger girl came around the corner of the kitchen, dressed in her white apron, now. And indeed, it was Amber. He couldn't take his reddened, dark circled eyes of her, observing the girl in his side mirror.

"Amber!" Amy came from one of the tables over to her. "One of the cops where here again. He said he wanted to talk to you once more." She furrowed her brows. "One of the cops?" she asked. "Which one?" She looked at her confused. "Uh. I don't know I have seen only this one." She grabbed her arm. "Was his name Martin Hart?" she blinked at her. "Uh, no, I don't think so. Amber, you're hurting me!"

Amy tried to get her arm out of Ambers grip. "Damn. Ah Fuck." She cursed loud. "Amy, go upstairs." "Amber, what is wrong." She pulled her closer. "I told you to go upstairs." She released her arm and Amy scurried upstairs. Amber brushed a few wisps out of her face and fixed them with a bobby pin near her lazy bun. She stretched her back and went straight to the entrance. She saw the red pickup standing in the parking lot and she even saw the glow of his cigarette.

She pushed the door open and stood on the top of the 3 stairs. The back lights flashed and the red pickup drove onto the road back to the city. "Coward." She hissed with a bitter tone in her voice.

Rust saw her stride across the room heading to the door. He flipped his half smoked cigarette out of the car window and turned the car keys in the ignition. He drove out of the parking lot with shaking hands. He realized there's nothing he can do about it, he'll meet her, maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but...damn, he is gonna have a drink.

"So, what did you get?" Rust startled up. He had been sleeping with his head on the desk in the archives. His head felt dizzy and his vision was blurry due to the way too many ludes he had dropped. Marty put the steaming coffee mug on the desk, Rust grabbed it immediately.

"Nothing. The diner is a dead end. We don't even know if the napkin is from the murderer." Martin sat on top of the table. "Well the napkin was lying on top of the trampled grass which means that it was not washed ashore. I think it is not a mistake if we assume that both of our suspects or even the two suspects and the victim were eating there before the crime.

" I do not doubt that, but there is no connection between the suspects and the diner which we could follow. The staff there does not know a thing." Martin grabbed a file lying on the desk. "What did the ginger girl say?"

"The same she was saying to you."

"Did you find her behavior suspicious, too?"

Rust ran his hand through his messy hair. He wanted nothing more than a shower right now. "I asked her about it. Why she handled the picture so well. She told me she is a huge crime fan, watching it all the time on TV, reading books, stuff like that."

Martin took a sip from Rusts coffee. "Yeah that explains it, she recognized me the moment I came through that door. Was asking if I were the hero cop." He grinned with pleasure at the memory. "Even remembered that I had a partner and asked about you." He took quick a sip from his coffee. The Quaaludes still had an effect on his system and he did not trust his facial expression right now. "I'm gonna take a shower and then we can follow your lead with the family."

It was loud, heavy machinery was blustering all over the place. The foreman was guiding them through the maze like industrial area until they were in the little breakroom. The foreman pointed to a group of men sitting on a table and having a good time. "Good afternoon, everyone." Martin greeted them and they went silent pretty quick. Rust opened his notebook and studied the group very carefully. "Good afternoon, how can I help ya." A tall, bald man began to speak. "We're looking into the murder of Gregory Pinet. If I'm not wrong he has worked with this group?"

The man answered for the group. "Yeah, he did. But he did not show up to work the last days." Rust pointed with his pen on the men. "And none of you thought it was strange? According to the records he had not one sick day the last two years." The group went silent. "No one called him to see what is wrong?" again no answer. Martin continued. "How was Mr. Pinet? I believe, some of you worked with him for almost 5 years now."

Marty continued the informal interrogation while Rust took a view around. They were in the only building on the area which was tower like integrated in the industry machines, pipes were running in and out of the building to various silos, containers or cooling tower in all different shapes and sizes, the whole areal was traversed by catwalks with grid, steam was leaking and billowed around the catwalks.

It smelled like burned plastic, aluminum. He opened a door and stepped outside into the steamy, misty air. He could see the ground through the grid several meters under him. "I wouldn't do that." A man called out to him, walking along a catwalk which lead to the breakroom and pointed to Rusts cigarette which he had already between his lips. "you never know if there are some gas leakage or flammable dust in the air."

He tapped himself on the helmet. "What are you even doing here without head protection?" Rust opened his jacket a bit so that the worker could see his batch. "State police." The workers body language stiffened as he said gruffly "Which one?" Rust looked at him out of the corner of his eyes. "CID" the man relaxed. "Oh man, don't tell me it's Gregory? He hasn't been working for days."

"I'm afraid it is Mr. Pinet. You knew him?" the worker shook his head. "Not exactly, but I'm working here almost 20 years now. And well, after this time you know almost every one at least by name." Rust put his cigarette back into the package. "Anything you can tell me about Mr. Pinet?" "Not really, hardworking guy, never did much mistakes, I guess, not that I knew of at least. I heard that he was not a popular guy in his crew but I don't know why. He seemed like a guy you could easy get along with." Rust took notes and bowed his head in appreciation. "Thanks for your help, sir. One more thing," Rust fished the napkin from Carl's diner out of his pocket. "You recognize this?"

The man smiled. "Oh yeah, Carl's diner! It's the only place in 40 miles which will serve you these delicious pancakes at 3 am. It's very popular around the guys working here." Rust pocketed the napkin. "Thanks, you helped a lot."

"Something is going on there, Marty." Marty sat on the driver's seat and drove the car back to Lafayette. "I know, the crew he was working with, not a bunch of nice guys." Rust watched the landscape passing by. "That's not what I meant. I talked to this worker outside; he relaxed when I told him I'm CID. No one relaxes when they have to deal with murder police. We should call them to the HQ for interrogation." Marty agreed.

"What was that about, yesterday?" Amy asked Amber as they were eating breakfast on the corner of the counter. They were not wearing an apron so no customer would get angry if they called them over and they would not obey. Amber sighed and kept spooning her porridge.

"Nothing. I was just worried cause you're not really …well allowed to be here." Amy looked at her doubtfully. "I was already interrogated. He was coming for you, not me. And furthermore, why did he leave when he saw you?" Amber clicked her tongue with annoyance. "Did you watch me?" Amy threw her hands above her head, almost knocking over her mug. "Of course I did! I was worried like hell." Amber smirked at her."Awwwh, you like me, you're so adorable!" she reached out to rub over Amy's head but she dodged. "Don't you dare! I just made my hair!"

Amber smiled at the cheerfully Mexican girl as she took a sip from her tea which she held with her hand above it only on the lip. "I'm going to bed." "Oh, wait! Can I take the car? I need to go shopping." Amber hesitated for a moment. "I don't know. If you get in a traffic check with the diner car. It could get us all in trouble." Amy pouted. "But last time they accepted the fake driver license you got me, too!" Amber hushed her down. "not so loud, airhead. Just… take care, okay?" she gave her the car keys to the small red car. "Yay, should I get you something?" you're going to Walmart?"she nodded.

"Some tank tops in white, or grey." Amy rolled her eyes. "Ugh! You're so boring." Amber was on the way to the corridor which connected the Bar with the back door. She snatched a kitchen knife from the counter and looked over to Amy. "Boring, you say?" Amy giggled now out of control.

"I'm death, I'm war. I'm the plague that destroys humanity!"

Amber put the knife back and said with a nice smile on her face. "white tank tops would be nice." "Alright, see you later death and war!" the ginger girl gestured her to get out already and then climbed the stairs to her room. She will find no sleep, she thought to herself as she stood in the shower, images of the events the evening before played through her mind. She turned off the water and grabbed one of the towels. Only in undies she stood in her small room thinking about grabbing her stuff and vanishing again.

She liked it here. Amy is nice, Carl is nice, Larry always is worried about her weight and tries to get her to eat more. Rick is always playfully flirting with her and Georgina, well she cooks always the best coffee for her when she is working graveyard and she relieves Larry in the kitchen. She did not want to go. But maybe, she doesn't need this time to vanish. Last time she invaded his life. But it is different know. He came to her, well more or less. She did not need him, she did not ask for his help.

And, she remembers proudly, this time he screwed up and fled.

The case was solved shortly after, three of the men's alibi did not check out and they found the matching gun in one of their houses.

The tall man caved in and confessed that they were disposing solvent in the nearby river to keep the disposals fees to them self's. Gregory Pinet discovered it and threatened them to make it public. In the heat of the argument, one of the workers drew his gun and shot out of impulse. They disposed the body in the river but the next morning, they saw that ii was entangled in the water plants, so they pulled it out of the river and drove down to the coast where they placed the body near the shore.

They assumed that the flood would take care of the rest but it was found before the flood could wash the body away. In the following night, they were trying to wreck the crime scene in hope, that they would not be found. "You sure, you don't wanna come with me, telling his wife we got him?" Rust shook his head. "Go ahaead, you're way more enjoying this than me."

Rust was sitting in his empty house, watching his crucifix on the wall with a bottle orange juice in his hand. "Ah, fuck it." He grabbed his car keys and drove down to Abbeville.


	10. Chapter 10

Kinda a long one, but well, nothing important happens but it's necessary for my storyline and the tension between Amber and Rust. It seems, that i've written enough beforehand to upload every monday one chapter. I'm done with my bachelorthesis on the 25 this month and after that i can continue with this story. Enough babbling. Enjoy the story.

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Amber was standing in the kitchen ladling some gumbo on a plate and then bringing it to the table where 4 worker from Bayou company were sitting. "Here you go." The tired man looked up with a warm smile. "Thanks Amber." "No problem Aaron." She sighed. "Everything okay with you guys? I know you're al tired and stuff but you are never this quiet." Aaron took a spoon full of the stew. "It's just that we are worried that our company gets closed with this pollution incident."

Amber took a chair and sat on the short side of the table. "I heard about it, what happened?" "It was just four men who were disposing solvent illegally. The rest of the company had no clue. Someone got killed and now everyone is talking about closing." Amber saw the red pickup rolling into the parking lot. "I'm sure everything will be fine, Aaron." She padded his arm.

Rust got out of his pickup lit a cigarette and leaned against the car door. He saw her sitting with a group of men. She carried on the conversation but he was sure that she had already seen him. After the third cigarette It was clear to him that she did not intend to get up until he were coming in. He grumbled but headed to the entrance.

The little bell on the door rang as he was coming in. Amber looked up and as she saw the customer taking place on the corner of the counter she stood up. "Excuse me" she said with her bright smile to the group. With a pulled out pad she went behind the counter. "Can I get you something?" He looked at her. No smile greeted him, only her cold blue-green eyes. Her hair grew longer the last year, he noticed, the ponytail almost reached the middle between her shoulder blades. "Coffee".

She lowered the notepad. "No."

"I'm not sure you're allowed to decline my wishes." She smirked superior. "You look like shit, have you slept the last days?" He opened his mouth as she interrupted him. "And don't say that you are only dreaming, I mean it Rust. Have you slept?" He took the napkin in his hands and started folding it. "A bit." She sighed and raised her pad again. "Tea?" he laughed.

"Do I look like a guy who drinks tea?" she tilted her head sideways and stared at him provoking. "Tea it is."he relented an Amber went into the kitchen as Rust spoke up. "You're not getting a tip, Amber." She went back to the group around Aaron as he raised his hand to let her know that he wanted the bill. "Everything okay?" he glanced over to Rust. "Huh? Oh yeah, it's fine."

She waved her hand to stop him. "If you need any help you let me know, right?" "Don't worry, Aaron, I get along." He squeezed a big tip in her hand and stood up. "See ya around, Amber." He bowed down to hug her briefly and then followed the other men outside. "Your boyfriend?" Rust mentioned as she placed a cup of tea in front of him.

"Yeah sure, someday we will get married and life in a red brick house with our children." She grabbed a stool and sat across from him behind the counter. "I knew it" He muttered into his tea. "So you still don't let anyone get close?" she looked at him irritated.

"And you? Living to the fullest?" "In fact, I am. I bought a bookshelf." "Which color?" Amber asked on a hunch. "I lied." He admitted immediately. She smirked. "I knew it." "So did I." Her smile died.

"You knew what?" Rust took a sip and Amber grew impatient. "That it was not our last encounter." She lifted her eyebrows and looked aside. "Why are you even here, Rust?" He did not answer. "Rust." He wriggled about on his stool. "I needed to see it with my own eyes."

She set her hands akimbo. "You did. A few weeks back when you drove away as soon as I set a foot outside!" "I was not ready to talk to you back then." Rust answered after a while. "Oh, but you're now? Cause It seems to me, that you're still not talking."

He let the hand slip from the mug, straightened his back and clenched his jaw before it spitted out of him. "You left as soon as you had everything you wanted. The IC? Crashed due to your information about Ledoux, Ginger still alive, and after you got your stuff out of the police sealed apartment you left with a little note on the counter. Everything went according to your plan."

Amber was dumbfounded. "My plan?" she yelled almost. How could he twist it so much? She pointed with both hands on her chest. "I told you about Ledoux cause else I feared you would throw me out the moment you saw me. It was a peace offer!"

"You needed me to go back to the IC to hear around if anyone knew that you're still alive."

She crossed her arms. "Are you crazy? I was worried sick when you left." "Sure you were; you were afraid of your life."

She went silent for a moment before whispering with poison in her voice. "You made me plead that you'll come back."

He rubbed his temple at the memories of how he got her pleading. "And I did come back." He answered sorrow. "I took care of you the days after, didn't I? But you wanted me to leave." He furrowed his brows in question and Amber rolled her eyes as she saw it.

"Oh, come on. You remember every little thing, you notice everything and now you will whiten me that you don't remember? You told me to get a new identity and vanish again."

"Of course I told you that. It would have been the best decision." She wiggled her index finger.

"No, that's not what I meant. You told me to vanish! You wanted me to leave you alone and I did. And now you're sitting here telling me about how all of this was my plan?" he wanted to reply but went dead silent as he saw tears running down her face.

"You hurt me that day, Rust." She brushed a tear away. "And now even more." "I didn't mean to." He reached for her arm but she pulled away. "I'm sorry."

"Nah, it's fine. It's good to know how you think about me." There it was again, the pinch behind his right ear.

"I think you should leave, Rust." She said with grief in her eyes. Without another word he stood up, fished his wallet out of his trouser pocket but Amber declined. "You don't need to pay for something you didn't even order. And don't forget, you didn't want to tip me anyway." He looked at her for a moment how she stood there in her white apron with this typical sad-Amber smile. He turned and left. As soon as the truck rolled out of the parking lot she covered her face with her hands, slid down to the floor and cried her soul out.

Rust did not show up at work so Martin drove to his house. He used his key to get in and found Rust with an empty bottle of rum in one of the camping chairs having an eye contact battle with his crucifix. Rust sighed and closed the door behind him. "You think it will eventually fall of the wall?" he continued starring at the little cross. "Man, what happened to you?" he snatched the bottle out of his hand. "If I didn't knew better I would say someone messed with you." Rust smirked, than giggled silently before he burst out in maniac laughter. Martin brushed through his hair "Ah fuck. He lost it finally."

"So, Rust. How is it going for you? Some news?" Maggie asked casual while eating the tuna casserole. The Kids were already in bed. Rust looked from Marty back to Maggie. "No, no news." She looked at him for a moment before continuing to eat. "I know we have been through this topic, but I've got this friend." He thumped his glass down on the dinner table."No more set ups!" Maggie jerked at the loud sound. "Thanks for the food, but I don't need this right now." He left the table.

Martin leaned back in his chair as he spread his arms. "See. I told you something is wrong." She stood up and cleaned the table. "Then why don't you talk to him?" He rolled his eyes. "Maybe I don't wanna know what is wrong. You don't wanna pick his brain. And I tried but he just brushed me off." He tried to defend himself. "All I see is a broken man with a partner who is not even trying to help. I would do it, but since that day he despises me." Martin stood up and came over to her, laying his arms around her waist, his chin on her right shoulder. "Even so, don't let it get close to you. We offered our help and he does not want it. Maybe we should try focus on the good things in our lifes, like me being back." She laughed and turned to face him, placing one hand on his face when he kissed her.

2 months had passed and Rust rallied. He went back to his old routine of coming home late, sleeping for a few hours, showering and getting back to work. He thought that pretty soon, everything will be normal again, but, oh boy, he had always underestimated his need for some things.

It was Saturday and he distracted himself from thinking too much with grocery shopping. He was reaching for one of these frozen meals when he saw this person vanish behind a shelf full of spam. The champagne colored headscarf triggered him. He let the item slip back into the refrigerator, and leaned with his hands on top of the freezer cabinet. After a while he raised his left hand and placed two fingers on the side of his neck, chin raised, eyes closed, counting the heartbeats. He took the shopping cart and pushed it into the aisle behind the spam.

The female, it was definitely a female faced the shelf and Rust noticed sunglasses on the freckled nose. His hand reached out automatically for the shoulder and he forced her to face him, in one smooth motion he had torn the headscarf down, exposing long brown hair. The middle aged woman screamed and Rust eyes went wide. He moved a step back and the harassed woman clasped her hands together in front of her chest. "I'm sorry, I was mistaken." He raised his hands, palms down to calm her down.

"I thought you were somewhere else." The woman took the sunglasses down and smiled at him. "It's alright, I know what you want." She rummaged around in her purse and fished an autograph card out of it which she handed him. It was a photo of a woman in front of a big crucifix. –Aileen Bishop- stood beneath it. "Don't worry, son. I understand how it must be for some lost souls to meet their savior." Rust just stared on the photo as she moved her shopping cart further and away. He shook his head, let the photo fall to the ground and returned to the freezing cabinet, getting this damn frozen meal.

"Here you go," she placed the plate with fresh waffles on the table in front of Aaron. He was alone this night which was very rare; in fact, she could not remember him coming here alone at all. "Amber, you're getting me fat. I'm pretty sure you said that you can make some waffles, not that you want to feed a whole division." He leaned closer to her. "Even so, you're not even allowed to serve waffles outside of breakfast time." She looked around and saw only empty tables. "Yeah, the customers will rampage." He laughed and gestured her to sit down. "By the way customers. Any more troubles with them lately?" she furrowed her brows in question. "More troubles? What's your point?" Aaron swallowed and rinsed it down with some milk and sugar coffee.

He sure liked it sweet. "Like a few months back? This guy who yelled all over the place that he would not tip you." She widened her eyes in recognition. "Oh, that. Yeah. Well. No that was fine. He was joking." Aaron looked at her with a puzzled face and Amber knew she was acting strange but she just couldn't help it. Since that night where he literally left her broken, crying on the floor she had thought a lot about him and her and not them. Even Amy knew something was up but she hopefully did not know it was because of him.

She sighed and continued her story. Aaron was still looking at her as if he was close on standing guard outside every night. "He is a cop, coming here from time to time since I can remember." She lied to him. "It's kind of our game, nothing more. Don't take it seriously." Aaron cut the last waffle and dipped it into the syrup before stuffing it into his mouth. "You sure? He looked pretty, well, broken, jumpy." She laughed a plastic laugh. "Yeah, that's why didn't serve him a coffee and instead gave him mint tea." Aaron hissed.

"Well I wouldn't have tipped you either." She smirked. "See, nothing to worry about." His shoulders relaxed as he heard that. "So, I've been coming here now how long, jeeze, I don't know. And it is not even on my way home." He started rambling before he shook his head and started new. "How about, we could fetch a drink sometime? I mean, not here, somewhere else were I can treat you." She was just sitting there watching him muttering. "Like a date. You like to dance? I know this place in Lafayette. Great music. If you want we could go there."

Amber was about to decline when he interrupted her. "Look." He said seriously. "It's just a date. We go out, have a drink, some fun, maybe dance a bit. And if you don't wanna go on another afterwards I'm fine with it." She sighed

"I'm not a big fan of loud crowded places. Maybe we can go somewhere else?" he smiled. "Sure, sure! What do you have in mind." She has never been on a date. She never had a relationship. Sure, some guys here and there but it was always difficult to keep one when you have Ginger as a big brother. So mostly she just had, well flings, one night stands, friends with benefits. And after Rust got her away from the Iron Crusaders she never thought about getting close to anyone because she didn't want to talk about her made-up past. And somehow, she always knew she would not always life this peaceful life in the witness protection program.

So, where the fuck do normal people go for a date. She sat there baffled with not the slightest idea. "We could go somewhere, grab a bite and then, dunno." He scratched the back of his head. "Maybe take a stroll or something?" Her mood lightet. She liked the idea of getting out of this place for once. "Yeah, that sounds nice." "Great, so, when do you have an evening off." Bam. He cannot know that there are no days off. No Holidays, no nothing. She worked here illegal, even lived here illegal.

"What about you take me out for breakfast and afterwards we can enjoy the sun or so. Taking a stroll when it's already dark is no fun." He nodded. "Breakfast it is. I have shift change in 4 days, so, I'll get you on Tuesday? Around 9am?" Amber agreed. "Nice! Man, I'm glad that I finally asked you" he said with a grin on his face while he took his empty plate and the mug and carried it over to the counter.

"You don't need to do that." Amber scolded him a little. "Don't worry, I will tip you anyway." He smiled as he pushed the banknote into her hand before leaving the diner. 50 Dollar were more than a tip, she thought to herself. On the one hand she could really use the money, but on the other hand she felt somehow cheap, As if he tried to buy her. Amber thrusted the thought away and put the money in the pocket of her washed-out jeans shorts.

He buried himself in work. Every time, Marty and he needed to talk to someone over a case he told Martin to go home early and did it himself. He wrote the reports in the night, alone at his desk. He went through the archives for every single case in order to find similar incidents, any similarities and when he was too long awake, he started to open the file of the Dora Lang case again. He watched the pictures, read the report over and over again, searched painstakingly through the archives again and again to find homicides that could be connected

to this one. He was certain, that there had to be more than they had discovered. He had talked to the Major about his speculation but he threatened him immediately with a month of suspension and Rust did not want that at all. Sitting all day at home, alone with his thoughts, hell no. He shivered as remembered the conversation with the major. It was one of this nights where he stood in the archives, the lady working down here long gone and he starred at the files of some old case. His clock beeped and he pushed the little button to make it stop. Time to get his medicine, he thought sarcastically.

They met like always in the little room of the motel near the bar where she likes to hang around and work and get drunk. He was sitting in the chair under the window like he always does when he comes here. A cigarette loosely hanging between his fingers while she starts to rummage through the cardboard box which usual stands under her bed. "I come here now for almost 2 years, same time, same place and you still haven't the bottle ready when I come?" he exhaled the smoke and stood up annoyed. "I'm sure I had it here somewhere, he just saw it yesterday." She muttered. Her blond matted hair smelled. New and old bruises on her naked legs. He could clearly see her underwear under her short skirt.

Disgusted he looked away. Amber would never let her go like that, would never let herself fall so deep. And he was pretty sure she had endured more than this girl. "Found it!" she declared followed by a cough. Rust handed her the money and got the bottle in return. "So, you're gay or something? You never want anything more than the ludes." He just eyed her and then left the room. He needed to see her, Rust realized, not liking it.

There was nothing he could do about it so he got into his truck and drove to the highway which leaded to New Orleans. He left the highway after a few minutes and drove west to Charon.


	11. Chapter 11

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! This chapter is so short and it somehow hurts me to upload it as it is but i have to because that's all there is. **FOR NOW**. Soo, today is sunday, i have to hand in my bachelorthesis on wednesday and as soon as i have time i will write more. Pinky promise!

Also...What happened this week? :D My views are skyrocketing! Thank you so much =)

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Amy served the last plates of food before the kitchen closed. Larry usually went home when Amy and Amber change shifts but sometimes he goes home a little earlier especially on Mondays when it is a quiet evening or he stays an hour longer on the weekends. She saw the red pickup roll into the parking lot and then hiding behind a truck.

She knew it was the truck of the attractive but weird policeman but after she had waited for almost 10 minutes he still didn't came into the diner. She tidied the table where a family had been siting. Amy tried to forget the red pickup and the police but her brain just couldn't stop thinking about it. Why didn't he come in? Was he surveying this place? Did something happen again? Or was the murderer loose and on a vengeance trip? Oh my, she knew it was ridiculous a ridiculous idea but it stuck now in her head.

"What's wrong?" Amy jumped nearly 8 inch high. "Amber! You fucking scared me! Don't sneak up on me like this." She clung to the counter as her heart rate slowly normalized. "Sorry." She just looked at her with disbelieve. "I'm gonna check the order list larry did. Not that we will have 30 pounds of oatmeal again." Amy did not want to talk to Amber about the police. Last time when she did Amber nearly freaked out and now it was Amys turn to protect her. She grabbed a mug and filled it up with coffee.

She saw her leaving the diner with a white mug in her right hand and cut through the parking lot. He considered leaving but then decided against it. He was curious what Amy wanted from him.

"Hey" she just said as she stood at the cranked down window. "Hey" he answered. "I got you some coffee." She handed him the mug which he took while suspiciously looking at her. "What are you doing here?" she was visibly nervous, looking over her shoulder, her apron clenched between her fingers. "Uh. Just enjoying the evening." "Don't lie to me." Did Amber speak to her about him?

"You're here because something happened again, right? Or is it because I'm not legal?" apparently, the ginger haired girl did not speak about him. Somehow he felt let down like he was expecting her to do that. No, he corrected himself. That would not have been Amber. Not at all. But then why did he feel disappointed?

Aah, right, finally he came with his slowed down head due to the ludes to a point. He wished she would talk about him. At least to the only person who was almost close to her. Well she did protect her against her boyfriend.

"It's not about you, Amy." He told her taking a sip from the coffee. "How much?" he held the mug up und lifted his brows. She waved aside now looking more relaxed. "I left the diner alone I should go back inside." Amy explained, clearly not satisfied with his explanation why he was here or rather that he was not here for her. She turned to go back but then stopped in her motion.

"Why is Amber so afraid of you?" the sip of coffee didn't get through his throat. He harrumphed before asking her.

"Is she?" "The last time she saw your truck, she went pale like a sheet. At first I thought, she was afraid of the police in general like me, but she asked specifically which cop has shown up in the diner and asked me if I'm sure that it was not the one from last time, your partner. And just now you admit that you know her, even when you have never interrogated her."

Damn, this girl would have made a damn good cop. And she was right. He did tell her too much with his answer. Rust felt the caffeine fighting against the ludes. His mind still slow and gooey like syrup. She went around the car and opened the door, placing herself on the passenger seat.

"If she is in trouble I want to know." "If she is in trouble I wouldn't tell you cause you would help her." Rust rolled his eyes. She just went from brilliant to stupid in under a minute. "Oh. I meant like…in trouble but not in trouble with you."

"If she is not in trouble with me then why the fuck would I be here?" She glanced at him innocently.

"To protect her of course."

Finally, he looked at the Mexican girl. "Get out." But she did not listen to him instead she cheered delighted.

"I'm right, aren't I?" He turned in his seat to face her, eyes clouded and his voice a deep rasp. "I'm not here to protect anyone, girl. And even if, she will not let me protect her anymore." Amy's eyes went round

" Anymore? So you two have a history?" he reached over her and opened the door. "Out. Now. And take the mug." As soon as she shut the door behind her, the engine started and the pick-up drove away.


	12. Chapter 12

Told you I was not done with this yet. No, serious i'm sorry for the delay and i can't promise regulary updates anymore, but i can promise that this story will be finished! And not like "They all lived happily until they died" in a 200 words chapter.

Have a nice christmas or holiday or hanukkah or Krampus-day, whatever you believe in =)

* * *

Rust was angry. He tried to slow his heart rate down, but no matter what, he was not successful and that made him even angrier. How in the world could this little girl get this much under his skin?

He flicked the cigarette butt out of the window and directly lit a new one. The effect of the ludes was blown away and his blood boiled. He needed something to do. Occupy his hands with something, anything. No, he thought. Don't fall back into old patterns. But his hands on the steering wheel moved on his owns as he drove to the bar.

It was a one of the numerous random bars near the highway. The interior was the same as every other bar and honestly, Rust didn't give a shit about it. A quick glance around before he headed to the bar and sat down.

"One Bourbon." He just said to the barkeeper lighting a new cigarette. The barkeeper placed a napkin right in front of Rust and put the glass on it. Rust shoved the drink down his throat and held the glass up for a refill. As the barkeeper came with the bottle Rust put a bank bill on the counter. "Leave the bottle. I have no intent of getting home sober."

The Bartender nodded and placed the bottle next to the empty glass. Rust filled up and chugged it. This procedure was continued multiple times before a hand landed on his shoulder.

Rust tensed up. A shudder went through his whole body, expanding from the middle of his back, right between his shoulders and streamed down his arms and spine. He turned his head and looked the half bald man in the eye. The intruder was smiling, but it soon vanished when he saw that Rust did not recognized him.

"I." he began. "I didn't wanted to disturb. I just saw you sitting here all by yourself." He lifted his hand from rusts shoulder. Rust glared at the man.

"We met. When you investigated the murder of Gregory Pinet." Rust recognized the man. He was the one who told him not to smoke on the catwalk. Rust nodded shortly. "Yeah, I remember." The Industry worker took the bar stool next to Rust and put his beer bottle on the counter. "I'm Mark by the way." He put out his hand; Rust hesitated at first but then shook the hand of Mark.

"Rust" he mumbled around his cigarette between his lips. "So, Rust, everything alright? I saw you sitting here alone and chugging for a while. Case gone wrong?" Rust shook his head. "So…then, personal matter?" He snorted and had a crooked grin on his face before he raised his glass to his lips. Mark smiled uncomfortable. "Ah, I see."

Rust took a sip "Let me tell you something. You see nothing." A bit offended he crooked his eyebrow in question. "working for over 20 years in this shithole, know everyone by name but not realizing that one crew is dumping chemical waste in the river and furthermore killing a crew member. Either you don't want to see, or you just don't care."

Mark went silent for a moment and gazed at his beer. "So, serious personal matters." He said without any aggression in his voice.

Rust furrowed his brows. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know how to react to this nice, peaceful man. Can't he just swing a punch t him, or spit in his face or do something! He hated it. He hated how he smiled he hated how he bowed his head in recognition of his situation even so he did not know a thing about it. What was he? A priest? Mark sighed. "You know, my Wife died a few years back."

Rust did not look up from his glass. "And I spent almost every night sitting in a bar like this one on the counter, with a bottle of whiskey or vodka in front of me until I could pick a fight with some random guy. Worst two years of my life." Mark took a sip form his bottle and turned his upper body to Rust. " You reminded me of myself when I saw you here all alone. And it seemed I was right."

Rustin lit a new cigarette and said as he exhaled: "Maybe. Or maybe I'm just an asshole." He filled his glass up and emptied the bottle. "What. What happened to your wife?" "Car accident. I was driving."

Rust tilted his head back and watched his smoke swirl to the ceiling. "Same old story, huh."

Flicking the ash from his cigarette he continued. "Ever watched a mirror? I mean, not looking into it, but, like, watching it?" "What are you talking about?" Rust smiled. "Nothing man, nothing." He was glad that Mark didn't understand.

A group of men came over to the two on the bar. "Mark, what're ya doing, sitting with the cop? Ain't he the reason we all lost our jobs!" Mark turned, looking this man straight in the eye. "If you believe that, you're an idiot. The reason we lost our job is that some of us were greedy."

The man spitted on the floor. "Even so, the police could have handled it different. They are murder police not EPA. What do they care about it? You sup with the devil." Mark shook his head and laughed. "I knew you were an Idiot, but I did not knew that you have no brain at all." The troublemaker grabbed Mark at his collar und pulled him up. "What did you say, motherfucker?"

Rust finished his drink and smiled. He calmed himself down, grabbed the empty bourbon bottle, quickly turned around and smashed it sideways in the face of the man who held Mark at the collar. The guy collapsed and for a moment it was silent in the bar before hell broke loose.

Martys phone rang in the middle of the night. He untangled from the embrace of his wife and grabbed the receiver. "Hart" he answered but no one answered. He could hear heavy breathing at the end of the line. "Hello? Is there someone?" still nothing. His right hand covered his face when he finally asked.

"Rust, what's wrong." He had a bad feeling about this. "If you're busy, that's fine." A drunk Rust answered. Marty closed his eyes and sighed. "Where are you?" he heard who rust covered the speaker and asked someone something before returning to the phone. "around 10 miles down the 339. There is a bar." " I'm on my way."

Marty saw the bar and turned. He saw Rust standing next to a person who sat on the ground. His shirt was bloody and torn appart, the person on the ground had a burst lip and a swollen face. Marty stopped besides them and got out of his car. "Man, what happened?"

Rust looked down to the man and then answered Marty. "We tripped." Rustin went in the car without helping the other guy. Marty sook his head. " Yeah, great guy, isn't he." Mark said to Marty. He helped him off the ground and to the car. "Where can I drop you off?" He asked him. Mark explained the way and they drove silently away. After they dropped him off at his home Marty questioned Rust.

"What happened? You're still bleeding, is that a cut?" he pointed to his upper body where Rust pressed the remains of his shirt on. " Might be." "I'm driving you to the hospital." "I would appreciate if you don't. just drive me home, I can handle this." Marty laughed bitter. "Like you can handle yourself the last months? You're barely home, barely sleeping, taking too much drugs and now you're drunk and bleeding on my car seat. I would barely call that handling the situation." Rust kept quiet. "What were you even doing down here?" after a while he answered.

"Investigating." Marty raised his voice. "Investigating what? You were at carl's dinner again?" Rust turned his head and looked at Marty. "Again?" He sighed. "I went there a few months back but turned aroundwhen I saw your truck in the parking lot."

"Why did you go there?" Marty did not respond. It was not long ago, that he almost lost Maggie and his family due to his cheating. He could not admit to Rust that he was skirt hunting again. But he never had a red head. Somehow the imagination seemed too tempting. "Why did you go to Carl's diner?" rust insisted on an answer but he did not got one.

"You leave her alone, Marty. If I ever see you near Carl's diner no one will find your body. Maggie will have to bury an empty coffin." Marty was curious. He had never heard this tone from Rust.

"Leave which one alone. The Mexican girl or the hot red head?" Rust went silent again and starred out of the windshield. He was too drunk and he regretted losing his temper just now.

There was nothing between him and Amber. Nothing. He needed to stop thinking about her. Marty parked the car in the driveway of Rust's house and helped him inside. Rust dumped his bloody shirt in the bin and got a first aid kit out of one cupboard. Marty watched him disinfect the wound and then stitching himself up. "Seems, like the undercover times are coming in handy." Rust just nodded while making a tiny elaborate knot on the end. " I can leave you alone? You will not make any trouble again?" "Yeah, you can go." Marty shook his head. "You're welcome, asshole." And went home to his wife.


	13. Chapter 13

_Springtime! Hell, it took me long for this update almost 4 months, but well, here I'am. with a Bachelor degree now. Yay!Still, i can't promise regular updates, the master studies are as time-consuming as the bachlor studies. Rust will be back in the next chapter, for now you have to put up with Amber. Hope you all enjoy._

Aaron stood outside of the diner in the parking lot. It was a warm day and he wore only a T-shirt and jeans with black chucks. Casually was he leaning against his car, a silver estate wagon. The door of the diner opened and Amber came outside. The sun was bright and she protected her eyes with her hand for a moment. Fortunately, she used a ton of sunscreen.

Even in the summer her skin was always white and very sun-sensitive. Louisiana was not the right state for a ginger-girl, she thought as she went down the few steps and headed to Aaron. He smiled as he saw her. Aaron wondered all morning what Amber would be wearing for a date. He always saw her in a white or grey shirt with jeans or shorts and her apron above it. But now he realized how stupid he was for wasting his time on this thought. Amber was wearing a white tank top, blue jeans short with a brown belt and Aaron liked it.

This was her style and he wouldn't want her to be any other way. "Hey" said Aaron as she approached him. "Hey," answered Amber engaging in an awkward silence. Aaron stepped closer in an attempt of hugging her but then changed his mind and didn't do it. "Sooo," Amber started after a while. "Should we go then?" Aaron scratched the back of his head. " Yeah, definitely. I'm hungry like a bear!" Amber went around the car but Aaron scurried in front of her and opened the door. "Here you go." She hesistated at first but then got in the car. "Thanks."

He hurried back around the car and got behind the wheel. Aaron started the engine and they drove to Lafayette. He claimed he knew a lovely, yes he said lovely, and Amber needed to contain a smile at this word, café which offered a breakfast buffet. But as they arrived she could see why he used "lovely". It was lovely. The light beige building was overgrown with ivy, and in big flower tubs on the left and right of the entrance were pink hollyhocks planted. Little wooden hearts dangled on pink cords in the windows accompanied with white orchids on the sill. Her friendly smile froze.

This was not what she had in mind when she wished for breakfast instead of dinner. She wanted it to be less romantic and not…more! They crossed the street and Aaron looked at her with a nervous smile. He held the door open for her, "Where do you want to sit?" he asked her nicely. Relieved she saw, that every window set was taken, she didn't want to go anywhere near this kitsch.

"Maybe that corner would be nice, she pointed discreet to a small table and Aaron nodded as he led the way. The conversations were slow, and only about how good or not good the food was, Amber was unusually quiet and only answered when he spoke to her. After a few attempts to start a conversation, Aaron gave up and they ate in silent.

This was the worst date ever, Aaron thought sadly. Just as Amber finished her coffee, he stated quietly: "You didn't need to come if you didn't wanted to, you know." He sighed and leaned back in his chair. Ambers eyes widnened and she looked embarrassed on her empty dish. "It's not that I don't want to be here with you…I just don#t want to be here at this place." She pointed randomly at the whole scenery.

"Aaron, I agreed to a date because I was really excited about it, but this café, no. This is just… too much. I can't imagine that you likeit here." He looked up and smiled a crooked smile. "Yeah, you're right. I detest this kitsch. A friend of mine suggest it, he takes his dates always here." She smiled at him softly, "and I thought this was a date between you and me." He pulled out his wallet, and grinned at her. "Wanna get out of here." She laughed at this corny pick-up line. " Hell yeah, where do you wanna go?" "Time for some delicious history."

They both sat happily at the bar of Borden's ice cream. Amber got herself a huge milkshake while Aaron slurped his iced coffee. They talked and laughed until midday when amber needed to go back to Carl's dinner. He parked his car behind the dinner and stopped the engine. "Thanks for the wonderful day, Aaron. It was really fun." He smirked and amber could have sworn that he turned slightly red.

"So, you would say yes to another date." Amber unbuckled her seat belt, "Yeah, if you would ask me out again." He leaned closer to her and one hand rested on her tight. Amber laid a hand on his chest and pushed him slowly backwards. "Aaron, sorry, but that's a too fast for me. Maybe after some more dates. I barely know you and," she sighed. "I have troubles trusting people. I hope you understand." He smiled.

" Don't worry, I get it. I'm sorry for even trying." She grinned, "Oh, don't be. Now I know that you want me." She winked at him and left the car. Aaron looked after her until she was inside, shook her head and drove home with a smile plastered onto his face.

Inside, Amber went upstairs, taking a shower to get all the sunscreen off of her, she hated the greasy feeling on her skin, before she changed clothes and went to bed. She wanted to take a nap before she had to work all night again, but she just couldn't find sleep. It was a long time ago since she had a date. Amber should have felt delighted that someone took interest in her but somehow, she felt uneasy.

It knocked on the door. "Amber, you there?" it was Amy. Amber sat up and said loudly: "Yeah, come in" Amy hurried inside, came into the bedroom and launched herself onto the bed, next to Amber. "How'd it go? Tell me everything!" and Amber did. But she left out the part where he tried to kiss her. She knew, Amy would call her prim and she didn't want a discussion about principles. Amy rolled on her back and kicked with her feet into the air. "Uuuuhhh, so you will meet him again. How exciting! Amber got two guys, running after her."

Ambers face froze. "Two?" she asked, but already knew what Amy aimed at. "Sure, the policeman." "I don't know, Amy. You have to be mixing things up. There is nothing with the policeman." She wiggeled her finger in fornt of her. "I don't think so. Turst me, I'm way more experienced in these matters as you." Amber rolled her eyes. "Nothing to be proud of, if you ask me." Amy pouted. "Did you just insult me?" she smirked darkly as she answered. "If you feel insulted, than it must be true." Amy inhaled sharply "You soulless bitch." Grabbed a cushion and slammed it in Ambers face. Amber giggled and grabbed the cushion, pressing it onto her chest.

"Seriously Amber, what about the policeman. He cares for you." Amber laughed. "Nah, he doesn't." Amy could not tell her, that she spoke with him once before her shift started. That he waits so often in his car in the parking lot and driving away when Amber comes downstairs before she could see him. "You're sure? Maybe he is just…shy?" She rolled in her side and looked amy into her dark hazelnut eyes.

"Amy, tust me, he is not shy. I Know him a long time now. And…

There are differences that just can't be….overseen.

It doesn't work out. Besides, he had his chance." Amy wondered what happened between them but she didn't ask, knowing that she would not be given an answer. "If you say so." Was the only thing she managed to say.


	14. Chapter 14

Aaron looked at her with his big eyes expecting an answer. Amber hesitated. It's true. They have been dating a long time now and he was treating her not like a princess but like an equal and she loved that. Loved it a lot. "Aaron. I'm not sure. That's a big step." He took her hands. "Look, I know that this is all very complicated for you. So i spoke to Carl first." Amber furrowed her brows in anger. "You spoke to my Boss about this? Why?" He smiled at her little outburst. "I told him about it and asked him if it was okay with him if he would not get a new resident for your room for the time beeing. So that you could move back in whenever you want." Amber was silent in surprise. He had thought of everything to make moving in with him as easy for her as possible. Aaron continued. "And he said that that would be no problem at all." he casted his eyes down "So what do you say? Would you move in with me?"

Amber was at a lost. Why? "Why, Aaron? Why would you ask something so stupid of me? I'm nothing but trouble for you. I'm inconveninant. A burden. We haven't even had sex yet and you're asking me to build a life with you? Nobody would do such a stupid thing." She had tears in her eyes. He laughed. "I'm not asking you to build a life with me. I want you to be my roommate. My new job isn't as good payed as the last one and it would be nice to split the rent." She laughed, still crying due to her panic attack. She wasn't good at being attached to someone. She wasn't good at liking someone. That's the first step to be seriously hurt again. "You're just trying to make it seem not like a big step so that I say yes." "Is it working?" She wanted to say yes. She wanted to hug and kiss him and murmur "thank you" a thousand times in his hear for taking her like she is, damaged good. But she couldn't. There was this pain in her chest. Like someone poked her with a white hot poker. She could barely breath. "Let me think about it, okay?" Aarons smile froze and Amber felt even more bad. "I appreciate what you did. I really do. but that's such a huge step." She looked at the ceiling of Carl's Diner. "And I have to talk to Amy. She..well she somehow has a say about this too, you know?" She smiled at him warmly and Aaron was a bit relieved. Amy would definitely tell her to move in with him. He sighed. "All right." as he stood up and fumbled in his pockets for his key. It was early morning, the sun just dawned and he had to get to work. He leaned down to his girlfriend an kissed her forehead just where her hairline began. Amber smiled as he said "I trust your decision and either way nothing will change between us." "Thanks Aaron."

An hour later Amy came down from upstairs and started her shift. She picked up her apron from the hook at the door and laced the cords behind her back. "Was Aaron here again this morning?" Amber started the coffee machine and smiled. "Sure" she answered. He came by at least 4 times a week. This was a good timing to talk to Amy about Aaron and his request. "Amy, listen." She started as the Mexican girl interrupted her immediately. "No! No Amber! you're not gonna break up with him!" She looked at her puzzled. "Why would I do that?" Amy furrowed her brows in thought. "Usually, when someone starts a sentence with this they're gonna break up." Her eyes widened "Are you gonna break up with me?" Amber sighed at the jumpy thought progress of her best friend. "Amy! Could you just shut up for a moment? He asked me to move in with him." Amy just looked at her waiting for her to continue. "And...?" "Nothing. That's it." "You didn't answer him?" Amber took a deep breath. "No I'm not sure what my answer will be." Amy laughed. "Why? You're almost dating for a year now. That's how a relationship progresses, isn't it?" The red-haired girl didn't know what to say. Of course was Amy right. There were two outcomes to this. They stayed together, moving together, marrying, kids. Or they parted ways. Somehow this frightened her. "I'm thinking about it." She went for the stairs as Amber said silently. "He is too good for you, maybe that's the problem." She smiled sadly at her words. "Not -maybe-. That's definitely one of my problems." Amber went upstairs.

Rust didn't came that often to the diner anymore. As he found out about the relationship he stopped coming for almost three months. But why he had started coming again Amy didn't know. As always he came an hour before Ambers shift started. And like a ritual, Amy shouted in the kitchen that she was going outside for a break. With a white mug of coffee she walked towards the red pick-up who, like always parked out of sight. she opened the door and sat on the passenger seat. "Here you go" she handed him the mug and he nodded a thanks. The usually don't talk. She usually didn't get in the car with him. Mostly just handing him the coffee and going back in. One time, Amber found in the middle of the night an empty mug in the middle of the parking lot. It stood neatly on the asphalt. She registered that someone must have rinsed it with water so that the coffee traces wouldn't harden in the mug. She was so riddled by this she talked to Amy for a long time about this event. Never did the black haired girl forget to take the mug inside again. That was the only condition Rust imposed as he returned after the three months. His left arm hang out of the window, hand holding his looked better, Amy noticed. His skin had still a grayish tone, but the deep blue circles under his eyes had vanished. His hands didn't shake anymore. Maybe he got off the drugs for now. "What is it?" he asked her, starring in his rear view mirror. "Aaron asked her to move in with him." His face still blank. "Who is Aaron?" Amy rolled her eyes. "Her boyfriend." He nodded as if he remembered. "What did she say?" Amy sighed. "Nothing yet. She is thinking about it." He flipped the cigarette bud out of the window after taking a deep drag. "She should say yes." The girl laughed. "That's what I told her. But are you sure that _you_ want her to say that?" He went silent again before he continued in a hushed tone. "I should stop coming." Amy groaned in agony. "Fuck it. I'm gonna tell you something. You two need to get your act together. Why do you still come here at all? You clearly have feelings for her! And she? Aaron is the sweetest man on earth. And she still hesitates. Why do you think that is?" She threw her arms up after Rust remained silent. "I'm sure, deep down, you know why that is! And that's why you're still coming here. You've got hope." He emptied his mug and passed it to Amy. "You may go now." She was furious. "Sure, someone finally tells you the truth and you send them away. Fuck off Mr. Policeman."

Someone knocked on her door. No, wait, she realized. That was wrong. Someone tried to kick her door in. She stood up and opened it to a very mad Amy. "I'm sick of you two! Rust is in the parking lot and is waiting for you." Amber left her mouth open. "What?" "Just go to him." She did.

He saw her as it was too late to drive away. Damn she must have sneaked out the back door, he thought. She stood outside with some space between her and the pick-up and waited for him to get out of the car. Slowly he opened the car door, closed it again behind him and leaned against it, lighting a cigarette. "You're being rude." she told him. "I never had good manners." he answered. She smiled a crooked smile and got a few steps closer to him. "What do you want?" she asked him. "Depends." he exhaled. "Depends on what?" she asked him again, this time a bit annoyed. "Depends on your answer to him." She thought abut this before she responded "What if I say yes?" He finally looked her in the eye. "I would invite you to a drink." she nodded. "And what if I say no to him?" He almost smiled. "I would invite you to a drink." She looked back to the diner where Amy stood in the door way. She would take her shift for sure. "Alright, let's go." He crushed his cigarette under his boot. "Go where?" "You just invited me to a drink, didn't you?" They both got inside of the pick-up and Rust started the engine. "What will your answer be?" she brushed her hair out of her face as the air wind blow through the open car window."Does it matter? Either way I get to spend some time with you."

She got drunk easily. He didn't. He never did. She talked too much. About things that doesn't matter. Doesn't she realize that this is his good bye? He interrupted her "you should move in with him". Amber almost choked on her beer and Rust lightly pat on her back as she coughed. She might be a bit buzzed but she still felt special at his gesture. Stupid girl she scolded herself. "Can we please not talk about this?" The bartender placed a new beer in front of her and she immediately took it in her white hands. He loved those hands. soft. white. with a million freckles. some so pale he could barely see them. some almost dark brown. The thought had shot trough his brain too fast for his liking. Maybe he should better slow down with the alcohol. "No. We can't not talk about it." She giggled uncontrollably. "Why? are you going to make a move on me? After all this time? Don't make a fool out of you." she gulped down her beer. "Oh wait, you already have by coming week after week after week after week to the diner" She chanted almost. "You knew." It was more a statement of him rather than a question. "'course I knew. I was half of my life on the run. I would be dead by now if I didn't even found out that." He turned on his stool to face her. "You would be dead by now if I hadn't rescued you. Twice." she pouted. "I thanked you for it." he grinned wide, showing all of his teeth. He looked like a predator. "You left my house without saying goodbye. That's not a thank you." He leaned closer to her, one of his arm resting on the bar-top. "you behaved like an asshole. I didn't felt welcome." his eyebrow flew up in a mocking state of shock. "You didn't felt welcome? we're talking about feelings now?" She could feel the heat radiating from his body. What the hell, she thought. It ain't even cold in here. "Don't try to distract me." she poked him just under his collarbone. Amber wasn't sure if she meant by this his radiating body heat or his respond about feelings. "You will never talk about feelings, so why the hell should I?" He smiled an honest smile. It looked good on him. The constant crease between his eyebrows seemed to soften. "You still owe me a -thank you-." she lifted her hand and traced the place where usually the wrinkle between his eyebrows where. He closed his eyes. "Maybe i should pay the next round as a thank you." he exhaled deeply. "Maybe you should." he answered. Her hand moved through his messy hair to the back of his neck. His skin prickled. "Maybe I will" Amber said as she pulled him closer an kissed him.


	15. Chapter 15

_Smut incoming! Everyone who doesn't want to read this kind of action or is too young for mature stuff should skip this chapter. But well, this story is rated M for a reason, you know._

 **Rusts eyes snapped open** at the feeling of Ambers soft lips against his own rough ones. He immediately pulled away from her. "What are you doing?" He snarled at her clearly being angry but still a bit aroused by her bold actions. Amber let her hand slip from his neck, wrinkles formed on her forehead and between her eyebrows as she knitted them. "I'm doing what we both wanted since… well, I don't really know since when. But at least since you faked my death to save me. And if you ask me, that's a long time for some pent-up feelings." Her hand found her way on his thigh slowly caressing it. He exhaled and gulped, putting his hand on hers to stop her from going upwards. "There will be no happy end." She chuckled. "You think I don't know that?" Amber took his cheek in her other hand. "Rust, this is not the beginning of something new. This is our Good-Bye." His chest felt suddenly tight. As if someone sat on it and slowly that feeling increased and spread to his whole body. A mild panic knocked on his door. She would move in with what's his name again, he realized. Starting a normal life with no place in it for him. She had him in a bind. Got the pistol on his chest and there were only two outcomes.

He could reject her, drive her home and that's it. He probably wouldn't see her again and eventually the memories would fade. Maybe he would even forget about her with the proper self-prescribed medication. The thought wasn't so bad.

Or he could give in to her advances. This choice was clearly not the healthiest for both of them. Their relationship was already fucked up as it was already and having sex would only complicate things a lot. It was best for both of them if they had just a clean cut, he decided. So that both of them could move on. He nodded. It's time to make at least one right decision in his life. Rust released her hand, leaned over to the young, ginger-haired woman so that his mouth almost touched her ear. Amber shivered as he whispered to her, blowing some air down her neck while doing so.

"You sure you wanna do this? Think about it before you answer. I might not wanna stop when you say yes right now." Her eyes widened at his words and the picture of Rust who lost control over his body and actions flashed through her mind. She immediately felt the pulsing of her bloodstream between her legs. Shit, she needed him so bad. "I won't allow you to stop." She told him hoarsely. His face went blank. Without another word he paid for their drinks, took her wrist and dragged her out of the Bar. He headed towards the parking lot, Amber noticed. "Rust, not in the car." She scolded him mildly. He turned his head and looked at her with an angry expression as if she had denied him a special treat. "I told you to think about your answer!" He growled at her. "I don't want a damn quickie in the car. I want the whole night. Let's get a room at the motel." Rust lifted one eyebrow at this but didn't say anything as he started to pull her in the direction of the motel. They got a room on the second floor.

As soon as they got inside Rust pinned her against the closed door. His left knee found his way between her legs as his right hand squeezed her round butt. She had her arms around his neck pulling him closer to her so that she could nibble and kiss the side of his jaw. She bit down on his with stubbles cluttered skin. He inhaled sharply and let out a hissing sound as the pain shot through his body. His hand shot up to the back of her neck where it knotted with her hair. He pulled and her head connected with the wood of the door. "You little minx" he said throatily before licking the side of her neck from collarbone to jawline just below the ear. Amber felt so vulnerable to be at the strong mans mercy but that only turned her on could completely let go of herself and let him take control. She moaned under her breath and Rust took this as a sign to go further.

He let go of her hair; both hands grabbed her ass and hoisted her up. She instinctively slung her legs around his hip to remain balanced. Rusts hands now free to act grabbed the seam of her white tank top and pulled it over her head revealing a plain white bra. Still not satisfied with the amount of clothes on the floor he reached behind her back and fumbled with the hooks of her bra. After a few attempts in vain she chuckled and brushed his hand away. With one flick of her fingers the bra opened and slid to the floor. Rust craned his neck down to the little pink nipple surrounded by white sensitive skin of her breasts that fitted so perfectly in his calloused hands as if they were made for holding them. She bucked against him as he sucked on one of them, his tongue swirling around as his always-coarse lips teased the surrounding delicate skin further.

Her hand clawed at his grey shirt as she stifled another moan. Amber was surprised at her body's reaction; normally her breasts weren't that sensitive. She gasped for air as he finally let go of her now tender nipple. She made use of the pause to fumble with the buttons of his shirt, longing for more contact with his burning hot skin. "You take too long" he rasped, pulled her close to his body and carried her to the bed where he unceremoniously placed her down. Amber with other ideas in her head than just lying on the bed waiting for him to get rid of his clothes sat up and fiddled with his belt as he opened the last button and tossed the shirt aside. His undershirt followed shortly. The young woman in front of him gazed at his toned body, one hand wandering absent-mindedly upwards, her other still resting on his crotch with the belt now opened. She blinked a few times as she seemingly came to herself again. "You must be really drunk to forget what you were doing just by looking at my body." He teased her snickering. "Look who's talking, you're the one swaying here." She retorted while pulling down his zipper.

She was right, Rust realized, he was swaying a bit. If it was out of anticipation or because of the alcohol he couldn't say. Maybe both. He hadn't realized it then but now he knew that he had subconsciously always wished for this to happen. He was merciless pulled out of his thoughts as five warm and soft fingers enclosed around his arousal. His mind went blank and he blinked a few times to process what was happening. He cast his eyes downward, meeting the blue gaze of Amber as she just then slowly licked the tip of his penis. He prayed that he would never forget this picture of her in front of him. He tilted his head back in pleasure, closing his eyes as she continued to kiss and lick her way down and up again. One of her hand cupped his toned butt cheek; the other was still around the base of the cock supporting her movements as she started slowly to bob her head up and down on his length. His left hand found it's way into her hair, stopping her as soon as she started to suck even more. "Easy." He demanded in a hushed tone. "You're killing me here."

His hand guided her head away from his throbbing member and pushed her down on the bed. Her legs still dangled form the edge of the mattress. Rust put one knee beside her, the other foot still on the ground as he opened her jeans shorts and pulled them down with her panties. She kicked quickly her shoes off so that he could strip her completely. Rust get rid of his own shoes and stepped out of his jeans and shorts which where piling up around his feet at the floor. He bend down to her, motioning her to skid up. His arms clasped around her hips; hands on her ass as he pulled her into kisses were pressed down on her lower belly and hipbone. She tried to wiggle out of his grasp. "Hold still" he ordered her annoyed that he was interrupted. She laughed silently "then stop tickling me."

He lowered his head and licked her dripping wet pussy hard. "Fuck" she inhaled sharply as her head snapped backwards and her whole body stiffened. "You fuckin' bastard." She started to scold him but soon couldn't say another word as he continued his rough handling with her soft spot. Her fingernails ducked into his forearm; her other hand entangled with the sheets. She couldn't even manage to moan she just panted and gasped with all the pleasure peaks that shot erratically through her body. Rust smirked at her reaction as he slid two fingers inside her. Her muscles cramped down on them and she jerked as he started to pump her slowly.

"Oh Shit. Oh Shit." She started to mutter before she turned silent and her whole body stiffened. He could feel her to become even wetter shortly before she came. And she came hard. Her body spasmed as she moaned through her clenched teeth. "Shit, Rust! Fuck me. Fuck me now." she ordered him while already pulling on his arm and he was gladly to obey her. He kneeled on the bed as he put her legs upon his shoulders before he thrust into her still pulsing pussy. She opened her eyes wide "Yes!" she screamed, completely out of control as he prolonged her orgasm by even but hard thrusts.

She was too tight he thought as he slowed down to prevent from coming early. "No!" she panted and pushed her hips to meet his. "Don't you dare go easy on me now." Rust clenched his teeth but picked up the pace again. "I'm not gonna hold it for long" he declared. "I don't care!" she answered quickly. "Damn it." He mumbled under his breath as he pushed her tights close to her upper body with his hands resulting in an angle where he could push into her even deeper.

She scratched his right forearm as she came again. Her inner walls pulsed around his erection and he spilled himself inside her. His hands clenched down on her tights even more as he bucked a few more times before releasing her legs and sinking down with his head in the crook of her neck. Amber slung her arms around him. Her fingertips and nails gently moving through his hair. " You're getting heavy" she whispered in his ear and with a grunt he rolled off of her clearly already half asleep. She stroked his hair for a few minutes before she was sure he was out for good.

His sperm was beginning to drip out of her and she didn't want to ruin the covers so she got up trying to not wake him and went into the bathroom to take a shower. As soon as the water hit the shower tray Rust woke up startled, he hadn't meant to fall asleep. He pushed his upper body up from the soft covers and sat on the edge of the bed, ready for the usual headaches to kick in, he held his head in his hands. but nothing happened, he felt good though, he realized. No headache, the constant tingling at the back of his neck had vanished, and the all present urge to move, to do something wasn't so all-present now. Well he didn't felt at ease but he felt better than most times. So, Amber was in the shower, he thought, probabaly getting ready to go back and take over from Amy. .He grinned at the thought of her trying to get a word out of Amber what happened between Rust and her. Butt-naked Rust got up and looked for his cigarettes. As he found them he took one between his lips which still held the taste of amber on them before lighting it. With his socks and underwear first he started to dress himself.

Amber turned off the shower and stepped out of it, reaching for a towel. Her hair was in a bun, she didn't wanted to wash it cause it would take forever to get it dry again. she dried heself off before hanging the towel neatly on the towel rack again to dry. She opened the bathroom door and Rust turned around to look at her. He was already dressed in his jeans, buttoning up his shirt. she knitted her brows. "What are you doing?" she asked in disbelieve. "Getting dressed." he answered mechanically, not looking at her anymore. "You want to get back, don't you?"

It sounded like he didn't wanted an other answer from her than yes. "I beleive I said, that I want the whole night with you." "I'm not somekind of callboy you can just book." She sighed and sat down on the bed. "Rust come here and tell me what's wrong. I'm tired that I always have to guess what's going on inside of your head." with a few long strides he got next to her. She skidded closer to him and lay one arm around him, caressing his hair. "So?" she asked, but didn't got an answer of the stoic man. "Okay, obviously , you can't handle the situation." He looked at her gloomy but she didn't care. "You are going to move in with him?" He asked. "I will." she answered him. "And this is a one-time thing?" She smiled. "It is. No obligations." "And you are not emotional attached to me?"

She stopped petting his hair and he sighed at her mute answer. "Amber, I'm not good. Not good for people in general. They get unhappy when they're around me for too long." She smiled saddly.' how's she doing that' he asked himself 'looking happy and sad at the same time. "I like you Rust. But I know that this wont work. I'm not delusional. I got no expectations of you. This is our farewell party, remeber?" He nodded but let his head hung low. She swung one leg on the other side of his lap and sat down in it, facing him.

"So. Do I get the whole night, now that this is clear even to you?"


End file.
